Somewhere
by MistressLoveless
Summary: Somwhere he would find someone going nowhere and they'd go their together. "Marry me Granger, and I can get your magic back." "One year?" "Just one year. If you convince the press and help me gain what is mine, I promise you. Just like that." HGDM.
1. Observed

**Author's note: A fucked up rendition of a dramione. Thoughts, meet complete strangers eyes. They are pleased to see you.**

**Rating: Rates are bullshit but in case you're freaked out about this kind of stuff, I recommend you blow out your thirteen candles before taking my thoughts on.**

**

* * *

**

She was a lot more feminine then what he had remembered her being. She wore jeans now, a long t-shirt and a wool wrap like sweater. The only colors she had worn were grey and white. As if her whole closet was only full of these colors. She probably thought nobody noticed, but he did. Every day for no other reason but to watch her, he'd visit the village and sit in the café waiting for her to emerge from her apartment above the old man's shoe emporium.

He never had gone out of his way to hide himself but he hadn't exactly made himself known to her either. She was a mystery to him so he was going to try to be a mystery to her.

It was always the same thing with her; she would leave her apartment at eight and walk down the same street to the bookstore. Her bookstore.

It had only been in business for a few months now and it got pretty good revenue with the muggle locals. The only reason he knew about Granger moving into the village was the fact that he owned the village, was the main contributor and felt pretty much like king of the place. Plus, all the old men in the village passed jokes about her which peaked his curiosity.

He was never friendly with the muggles in the village but they all were contributing to his pocket. Well, a small part of his pocket anyway. With the war over he decided it wasn't a bad idea to get to know the people who lived there. They all seemed to know who he was.

"Anything else?" a rosy cheeked lady asked, breaking his distraction from the window.

"I'll have a-"

"Caffeinated black, no sugar and one baked bagel to go. I know. The same as every day, Mr. Malfoy."

The rather nosy lady had grown on him over the past months, "Right." He still didn't care for her that much. She reminded him of an Irish version of the Wealsey mother except she had dark hair and couldn't produce an ounce of magic. She was still impeccably annoying and she liked to carry random conversations that bothered him tremendously. She was too happy and laughed a lot even when he wasn't funny. He never told jokes to muggles. He wasn't comfortable around her or anyone in the village for that matter.

When he moved his attention back to the window he caught her backside turning a corner where no doubt she was heading to her bookstore, Hermione's brown hair bouncing in the winter wind and her large Saint Bernard following close behind his owners heels.

He paid and left. Then walked the same steps she did. He never went as far as to step inside her bookstore. Not yet anyway. He was afraid that once she saw him she'd leave quickly and he wouldn't have a hobby anymore. An even worse scenario was that she'd be stubborn and stand her ground and cause trouble in the small town with the others.

He never liked the people but he still had his rights to obtain with them. If there was need of something fixed, he paid. If there was a problem with some water pipe, he paid. He spent the money to make the village beautiful. All because his mother had secretly fallen in love with the stupid look of the place while she was pregnant with him and begged to have a second house built a few miles away. Then this lead to her enforcing Lucius to buy the village.

After he moved out of the manor he had his choice of places to live, he decided it'd be nice to move there until he found a wife and actually took the steps of dread down the aisle.

So far his parents had left him alone for the most part and he liked it that way.

He finished his bagel and decided to get back to work at St Mungos. His other hobby was healing. In the beginning he went to the university only to bother his mother. Who would roll her eyes and whine about her son's profession of choice. She finally came around when he began to take responsibility for himself as a result of what he saw in St Mungos emergency care unit. He grew up because of it. He didn't need a job, but it seemed to help him.

Lucius came around to the idea that being a healer made amazing money. Sure, it was a great paying job but its benefits were penny change compared to what they had in the bank. He thought it was a waste of time for his son to waste his energy on helping sick wizards and poor village muggles. It wasn't until the newspapers ate up the good publicity, and started putting the Malfoys in somewhat of good graces once again, did he finally come around to his son's lifestyle.

One thing was clear to both of his parents. Draco was getting older and to gain the business and inheritance it was set that a Malfoy heir should be married by age twenty-five.

Their son had broken so many guidelines, including dating a few loose class-less muggle girls in the past few years. They hoped he would come around eventually and find a suitable wife. If not a pureblooded bred young lady, at least a muggleborn witch. For all they cared, it was about the money and of course their image to uphold. They knew their son was a trouble maker and that he pushed their boundaries daily. They only hoped that this time, with the inheritance slipping through an hour glass that he'd find someone quick before they forced him to marry a cousin.

* * *

On the morning the younger Granger daughter took a turn at suicide- it was rather stoic. Hermione, the youngest of four brothers and one sister, had tried to go first, slitting her wrists while taking a bath, and when they found her, afloat in her pink nightgown, with the deepest brown eyes of some fairytale beauty and her petite body giving off the odor of a classy perfume, the paramedics had been so frightened by her tranquility that they stood mesmerized.

But then as the rather frightened Mrs. Granger lunged in screaming, the reality of the room reasserted itself: Blood on the tile; a razor blade in the sink, marbling the water.

The paramedics fetched Hermione out of the warm water because it quickened the bleeding, and put a tourniquet on her arm. Her wet hair hung down her back and already her extremities were blue. She didn't say a word, but when they parted her hands they found a carved wooden stick and small silver cross she had clutched to her chest.

Whatever hell she had thought she could escape by killing herself was not as bad as the hell she would have to endure when she awoke. For one, her mother had insisted she be treated at St Mungos because from previous conversations with her daughter, that is where she belonged. Plus she was afraid that because of all the blood her daughter had lost, that the muggle doctors would have no way of saving her, where there was hope that possibly they could do something.

The Grangers had no idea why someone as level headed, brilliant and beautiful as there only daughter would want to harm herself. In fact, for ten minutes her mother kept shaking her head and saying 'this is not happening right now.'

It didn't take long for the news and rumors to spread over that Harry Potter's best friend had unsuccessfully committed suicide. Especially during a time of rejoicing and happiness after she had just been awarded a great medal of honor for her work in curing Dragon Pox.

The biggest hell she would have to endure was her healer. A strong, good looking man by the name of Draco Malfoy. He wasn't sure why someone like Granger would end up in his hands. All he knew was that he was curious. Upon her arrival he was shocked by her beauty and her illness. He wasn't sure why he was so interested in her case. Maybe it was just the cliché reaction any person has towards juicy or bad news about an old classmate or someone they knew. He felt a connection to her. Maybe because he had a small obsession with her that came from watching her every morning. He blocked it out at first, thinking his only job was to patch her up and send her on her way. The day she awoke was exactly ten days later, it was cold outside and snow had fallen four inches…

* * *

**Author's note: Leave me something and maybe I'll post the next chapter.**


	2. Slumber

**Author's note: My chapters are short and long, a bit messy and have a life of their own. Kind of like a real relationship right? **

**Rating: Build maturity and then we'll talk. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the computer I'm typing on. **

Inside the hospital's mint green walls, there were children's drawings of how grateful they were to her work, our how her spell had saved their parents. Some were her nieces own.

Flowers and gifts had displayed themselves with bright covered wrapping and bows. Cards were few. What were you supposed to tell someone that had tried to end their life? _'Get better?' 'Hope to see you soon?' 'You'll be out of there before you know it?'_

Her mother had been reading some trashy muggle romance novel with a half naked man on the cover. If Draco wouldn't have known better, he would have sworn it was a sister and not an older mother.

He came in quietly, and gazed at the gifts. She was still Wizard Britain's sweetheart. "_Unfucking believable." _He thought to himself.

She looked up from a page and then quickly put it away to the side, "Oh doctor…wizard…um…I'm not sure what a title for a wizard doctor is."

He put his hand up quietly as if to gesture for her to be quiet. That it was fine. "Healer." He corrected.

Her mother's smile was lovely and it lightened up the gloomy room, "Healer. Healer Malfoy." She picked up a box of cookies she had made and offered them to him, "I am very fortunate for all you've done. Here have one. They're chocolate and peanut butter. Mione's favorite."

Being polite he helped himself to one. He was never a fan of muggle food but he didn't mind anything Granger's mother had concocted together. So far everything was somewhat edible.

Emilie Granger had turned her attention to her daughter now. Her hand gracefully moved the hair from Hermione's pale face and slowly moved it behind her ears. She began to talk her thoughts out to herself as she did quite frequently lately, especially when Draco had been in the room. "She is gorgeous. A sad beautiful thing she is. I often wonder lately what I had done wrong. What would have caused Hermione's world to come crashing down."

The young man looked to be more concerned with the patient and he had a way of drowning everything else out. However, he was listening as well and heard every word. A talent he had picked up from his father who could look very interested in his work and then quote word for word everything his mother had just blabbered.

Granger's mother continued, "Me and Jacob were talking last night. We came to the conclusion that we've heard your name before but we can't place it. Did you go to school with Hermione?"

He stopped his examination and turned around and glanced at her, "Yes. We knew each other."

Hermione's mother felt giddy. He really was charming. The rumor around the hospital was that Draco Malfoy was very wealthy and was only a doctor for the aspiration to help people. While the aspiration to help people was nonsense, she ate up every word. She was gullible and she wondered if she would ever be lucky to have a son in law as good as him. If Hermione wouldn't marry a muggle she at least hoped for a wizard like the one in front of her. She had no idea of the history or the complexity of Malfoy's relationship with their daughter, or his past for that matter.

He broke the silence, "I think I'm going to bring her out from the coma we put her in to induce blood flow. She seems to be perking up more."

Emilie's hand flew to her chest and she rose to her feet from the chair, "you mean it?"

Draco had so many smartass remarks to say but he simple nodded in annoyance. "Yes."

"When?"

He picked up his wand and clipboard and shoved a quill-like pen in his lab coat pocket. "This afternoon, I would imagine." With that he smirked and left the hospital room to see his other patients.

Mrs. Granger smiled to herself. Sat down again and sat for a few seconds. Thinking of her next move then picked up her book and began the next chapter.

* * *

Her head felt as if someone had hit her hard. For a second she thought maybe she was dead. That she had been in some waiting list to get into some fairytale place her parents used to tell her about when she was little. A little place called limbo before she took a big step into heaven. Then finally as if it had been only a few hours, she had been sent back and she hit earth hard.

When her eyes opened, it was a fuzzy. The light made her feel like Helen Keller and turned whatever color she had seen in the blur, burn.

She went to make a sound, to scream, to let someone know she was alive again. Once again, nothing came.

Soon the burn faded and her eyes were filled with hot brimming tears and the mint green walls met her dark chocolate brown irises.

She didn't need to be told where she was. She had been there too many times before to not know where she was.

The room was solid but it was full of gifts and pictures from people she didn't know. The ones she did she wasn't sure she was ready to face who sent them. She had no excuse to tell them. None she knew they'd believe anyway.

She let her heavy head rest on the pillow and her arms rested against the cold metal of her hospital bed.

Her perfect life had unraveled into pieces. It all lay in this small room. Her eyes closed, except this time it was too sleep on her own terms.

* * *

Draco knew she had been awake for some time. Now he thought she was just being selfish to sleep. She had slept for nearly a month now. He wondered if this was some idiotic way to not face her family. To keep sleeping as if she was still in the coma. Then again, it could be depression. Usually, and in most cases when the potion is distributed through the IV, the patient takes an hour to two hours to awaken fully. It had been a whole day since he had distributed the damn purple liquid and still nothing.

Jacob Granger paced her hospital room and sneaked through her goodies. He found himself an odd candy and then wished he hadn't eaten it. He coughed a bit causing the room of muggle family members to stare. Draco just kind of found himself smirking and hiding it well.

"It tasted like aspirin and-"

"Dirt." Draco answered for him, "It tastes like cinnamon to the person who was given the candy."

Jacob was always amazed by these things and his face lit up, "Outstanding."

Another woman in the room was Granger's sister, Olivia. She was older, married and from what he had gathered she had at least three children. She wore the same locket necklace everyday at the hospital. Always carried a cup of coffee and always answered her mobile. She seemed to be a bit of a rather special sort. She treated Hermione like crap in the past, and Draco could see guilt if it wasn't lit up before him.

Another talent Draco had was reading people. Who they were, where they stood and what kind of person they were. A slytherin trait no doubt. He took this whole month to read her family.

Emilie Granger was the Monarch in the family. The boss so to speak. Jacob was the nice parent who did the right thing no matter what. Hermione's brothers were all doctors, lawyers and important people. They too were underneath their wives in all their relationships. Then there was Olivia. Who was by far the Granger's favorite. He could see it. Hermione got more attention; the more Olivia would pipe in about one of her brats.

It was Olivia who broke the silence with her obvious impatience. "So, how much longer do you think she will sleep? You said she'd be awake."

He looked up from examining her IV. Rolling his eyes for the millionth time today in this hospital room and then faking a charming smile, "She should be awake now."

Olivia went back to her mobile and blocked him out. On her phone she spoke clearly to her husband, "What do you mean you're down the hall?"

However he wasn't quite down the hall, he was right in the doorway with three kids hanging around him. He hung up his phone and looked ready to face a fight, "The nanny quit today."

Draco watched in slow motion as a tiny little girl ran over to him and tugged on his lab coat, "Are you a doctor?"

He stopped filling out a report and looked down. She looked like her mother but then there were her eyes. She must have inherited somehow from her aunt.

"No, I'm a healer."

"I want to be a doctor." She said in disappointment that she was only meeting a mere healer and not a doctor.

When he turned his back away from Granger's family, he was able to write better without distractions. He could think. This group of people asked more questions than he had expected. Every day new questions. No wonder Granger liked to be away from them at Hogwarts. Maybe that's why she tried to commit suicide. He left the room to tend to another patient, glad there interrogation was short today.

Meanwhile Hermione was fighting the darkness. She wanted to open her eyes but her body was not letting her. She could hear half conversations, but they sometimes sounded more like blurs than actual voices.

She felt everything though. She could feel Healer's hands and assistants hands and her mother's touch.

At this moment she felt weight on her chest and bony knees in her sides. Someone was sitting on her chest or it felt like it.

The voices were blurs but she did hear laughter. Her hands squeezed and she tried once again to hear. The nerves in her skull felt like exploding. Suddenly the voices became clearer. As if she was watching a movie. As if they were coming from speakers and not real people.

"Ruby get off your aunt."

"No. Mummy, I'm going to make her feel better."

She felt small hands touch her breasts and then move to her mouth. Her lips were being opened without her consent. She felt something go into her mouth and down her throat. The sudden urge to cough, choke and gag all at once hit her like a bag of rocks across the face.

As the little girl was left alone to examine her aunt, everyone in the room was too busy with the other kids and their mobiles to realize what was going on.

Hermione's hand grasped the little fingers that held the Popsicle stick and her eyes flashed open, "Get. Off. Of. Me." Her voice was coarse and fine.

The first full image to be taken in by her eyes was one of a very surprised and frightened six year old. Her fingers became dead like in her aunt's grasp and the stick dropped to the blanket of the hospital bed. They shared an equal terrified stare.

The room wasn't alert until Ruby had fallen off the hospital bed screaming bloody murder and crying.

"What's wrong, Ruby?" Emilie asked in a joking tone, as if this was common for a small girl to scream. Then she looked up at the bed to see Hermione awake and holding her throat. Her voice was scratchy as she screeched, "What the hell?"

The room was paralyzed for few seconds until they all realized she was really alive and awake. Suddenly they all began to crowd around her bed. Hermione felt like they were suffocating her, just with their glances.

"You're awake." Jacob Granger smiled. "We've been waiting." He couldn't think of something more appropriate than that.

She nodded and blinked. Her energy wasn't something to be desired at the moment. Once again she seemed to take in her surroundings. Her family's pleading eyes, the gifts and the dead like walls.

They didn't ask questions, they knew it was too early to do so.

They were watching her like a time bomb. She wishes she had died.

* * *

Her eyes remained closed for the remainder of the day. The family came and left. Each one spoke nothing about her suicide or her intentions.

The looks they had given her were ones of pity or stupidity. She hated it more than anything.

She had watched them depart and arrive. Coat on. Coat off. Chair one. Chair two.

Yet, her intentions and reasoning hung in the air like a thick cloud and everyone choked on it but refused to clear it out of the way. Most likely, knowing her family they would never ask. They avoided the bad and the ugly. They refused to acknowledge anything outside their pie and candy coated world existed. The bad just didn't happen to the Grangers.

The whole thing made her sick and she couldn't sleep even when they weren't around. There were moments where she felt like screaming out but it stayed on the tip of her lips like spit she had drawn back with air into her lungs. Poison.

Her eyes had just faltered like butterfly wings and her lashes had just touched her cheekbones, she had just started to fall into a slumber when she felt a presence in the room.

"Glad to see you finally graced us with your presence." The voice was snide and soft but equally manly and aggressive. It was also oddly very familiar.

Her eyes opened to see Draco Malfoy in a healer costume. She looked frightened and unfazed all at the same time, "Is this some kind of joke?"

His lips formed a familiar smirk and he walked forward to her bedside, "I should ask you the same thing. Imagine my surprise when all high and mighty Granger comes into the emergency care unit all fucked up."

She bit her lip in annoyance and her eyes quickly were alert and unmoving from his actions with her equipment, "what the bloody fuck are you doing?"

"I'm changing your vitals and switching potions." He answered as if she wasn't mentally stable. A joking tone of different proportions. "I mean. Unless you'd rather be given this potion that holds all bowel movements in suspended animation. I imagine you can tend to that now that you are awake and with the living."

"What? So they just let you do that now?" her tone was malice and the poison she felt in her lungs lunged at her words towards him.

"I'm a healer Granger. I even went to school. Calm down. You want to see my credentials?" he chided and finished quickly. Then picked up a clip board and began to write notes down.

Her arms folded across her chest and she seemed to be fuming, "So...you help people now?"

He looked up and copied her face, and then a sloppy version of her voice came out of his mouth, "So…you ask a lot of questions like your family?"

Her expression dropped and she shook her head in disbelieve that she was holding a conversation with him and that most importantly; he was the one who brought her back to life. That he was her healer. She was angry at him for that too. It would have worked out if he hadn't been her healer. Malfoy ruined a lot of things.

He continued writing, "Look Granger, do you want a different healer? I can get the papers for you, but I'm warning you that the other healers on call the next few weeks are part of that stupid act passed by the ministry. This means they are all students and they all will be under the direction of another healer. The word around the ward is that the healer teaching isn't even trained in mental and triage. Apparently, he is strictly pediatrics. So, I mean. Unless you want to become sane in the next few minutes and shrink back to a small creature, then your best bet is to suck it up and stick it through."

"You're still a bastard, you know that Malfoy?"

"So does this mean I go get your paperwork and you become a child physically, which in my opinion should be easy considering you already have the mindset of a five year old to match?"

The saliva that went down her throat burned and she licked her chapped lips, her head turned towards the window and her hands covered her eyes. "This isn't happening right now."

"Good. So get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow, Granger."

"Wait." She said. Her voice was small now. She swallowed her pride, "Malfoy, I can't sleep."

Moving his hand from the door of her room, he turned to face her. He saw what bad shape she was in, the bandages on her wrists and her fragile, skinny body. Brown eyes looked dead and heavy. There was no color where it had been so bright years before in school.

Every morning she had pulled off some smile and a bounce that went with the way she walked. She was a confusing puzzle. The morning he watched her leave the loft for the last time, was the same night she came to her parent's house and tried to end her life. Something must have made her so angry and upset. What makes you want to end your life like that? Then again, he knew she had been hurting for awhile now. She didn't fool him. He saw through her façade.

He also saw potential. Malfoy's are known for the cunning ways. He had a brilliant plan he had already been stitching together. He was going to marry Granger, she just didn't know it yet.

He moved closer to her, "Do you want me to give you something for that?" He said it in a caring tone she hadn't ever heard from. It couldn't be Malfoy who had just spoke those words. She was so shocked by the soft difference in his voice that she seemed too mesmerized to answer.

She replied with a small nod.

"What are you comfortable with most? Potions that send you to sleep fast or natural relaxants?"

"Natural. I guess." She was short with him and as polite as she could pull off.

"Okay. I'll have a medi-witch come in and administer some, alright?"

They shared a glance, and it was quick and sweet. He looked like he almost cared and she looked like she almost thought Draco had changed.

"Good night, healer Malfoy." She replied with a snarky bite.

He just nodded and closed the door behind him, "Night, Granger."

* * *

**Author's note: **ivoryandrose-leaves and gentlemidnite. Thank you. You made my life brighter.


	3. When did we become friends?

Her fragile body sat there listening but every part of her felt sick and ready to head back to the hospital room. He noticed as he talked, she never touched the food in front of her. Even if it was cafeteria food he was a little worried. As her healer anyway, it was a concern.

So far they had got to the point in the past week since their first interaction where they talked more civilly and she had respected the point he was her healer. She had worked with healers in her work; she was one to some degree. Unlike Malfoy who actually worked with people, she worked with test tubes and cauldrons. He had higher medical doctrines and certifications. She knew a great healer when she saw one. Draco Malfoy was amazing at what he did.

When they were together, they talked mostly about books and his medical schooling. She brought up her bookstore and he pretended not to know about it, and listened for the most part.

"Are you not hungry? You haven't even touched half the food they serve you."

She looked up, her plastic fork dropped from her bony fingers. She seemed to be looking out at the flowers and other patients. "What do you want from me, Malfoy?"

"Well, as your healer. I want you to eat. As your…" he stopped for a minute pausing, "friend. I'd like you to pay attention."

She turned to him; suddenly something had caught her attention. "What does it matter if I eat? I'm not hungry. Also, maybe I should have started out with this, but when did we become friends?"

"When I saved your life."

"What is this?" she gasped in annoyance, "Some weird thing you do now? I'm not your project or something Malfoy. I know mean rich people like to find poor unfortunate people and try to make up for some type of bad karma and such. Please, I'm begging you. If this is something like that, you must know you are hurting more than helping, okay?"

"Merlin Granger, I don't even know what the bloody hell karma is. All I'm asking is as your healer you'll eat the damn butterscotch pudding. I'm not making you eat the vegetables, okay?"

"I don't want the fucking butterscotch pudding. I'm not hungry."

"You will eat the butterscotch pudding, Granger." His words were an order not a thought to think on.

For a few seconds forward they shared equal disgusted glances. Finally, she gave in and began to take small bites of the dessert while glaring at him. Each time she would shove the cutlery into the gooey substance as if she was stabbing it. She imagines stabbing him with it.

"I've put it on the record that I expect you to gain five pounds before you are allowed to be discharged." He said as he began to scribble on her medical file.

She swallowed a bite and then coughed a bit; "You can just decide things like that?" she looked angry and livid. Suddenly the butterscotch pudding tasted like cough syrup.

Peering over his reading glasses then back to the file he nodded, "You weigh ninety- eight pounds. Seven stone. For your height that isn't good at all. You're lucky I only said five pounds. It should be more. The rate you're going, you'll be here five months."

She put the pudding down and looked at her hands in her lap, then once again looked out at the other patients. Obviously fighting tears back and keeping them away from him. "This isn't fair." She added softly with a small sob.

"You want to know what isn't fair, Granger? The fact that you tried to end your life. Your parents seem nice and you don't have an obligation to anything, why the hell would you try to kill yourself?"

Her curls bounced against her skull as fast as she turned her head towards him, a few tears were residing on the rims of her eyes, "You're not my shrink, Malfoy. You are just my healer. We are not friends. Nor are we on a level of any relationship that allows you to talk to me like that. I'm your patient. Talk to me only as a healer should to a patient."

His hand stopped writing and he nodded to himself, "You act like a child more than you ever have."

Her arms folded against her shoulders, she moved her legs into the chair tighter and curled up into a ball. She fell silent and she licked her chapped lips and set her eyes on her file he seemed to be so entranced on.

He kept writing his notes but inside his mind he was trying to think of a way to get her to open up. He had a good plan, but if he rushed into it, this whole thing could ball up into his face and blowup. Suddenly he felt heavy again. He put more on his plate then he had taken off.

"This is my worst nightmare you know?" she croaked a few minutes later. Her eyes watched his many rings shine in the light as he wrote quickly and neatly. "Having you as my healer."

His lips formed a smirk, "Your parents brought you in a blanket. You were almost frozen. Your blood was all over your father and you were wet. I think it doesn't matter who your healer is Granger. I was just on call that day. If I'm your worst nightmare, imagine your parent's nightmare right now."

She was silent, and she looked at him as he spent his time writing. Was he writing about her? Their conversation? Also when did Malfoy become so interested in other peoples well being. Most importantly: hers. He seemed so grown up and so mature. He also seemed, dare she say it…handsome and a charming person least she forget his background and what a bastard he is.

"You wouldn't understand my problems, Malfoy."

"Of course." He drawled sarcastically, "No one understands poor Granger."

For a few moments his words sank into her body and processed through her veins. Her body began to counter act to the way he was, who he was and how she felt about his bed side manor. "What do you want from me, Malfoy?"

"I want nothing." He replied dryly. "You know what I don't understand Granger?"

She looked up from her tray of food. Obviously signaling him to continue.

"Why you out of all people would kill yourself. You're smart aren't you? You're brilliant. When you want something you go for it. Hell, you just figured out a cure for something twenty of our greatest wizards have been scratching over for years. I pity you for the fact you are blind to your own accomplishments."

"How dare you pity me Just because I don't have a big ego like yours." She spat. Her eyes narrowed and her fingers were chipping away at the old nail polish on her fingers.

"I don't have a big ego, Granger. I just am confident in who I am."

"Oh fuck it. Why am I even talking to you?" she sat with her arms folded and her knees to her chest in the chair. "If I had my wand…"

"Well you don't do you. We don't allow patients to have them and even suicidal patients have to wait for the ministry to give it back."

Her dry lips moved against her bony knees, her eyes were set on him for a second but they closed and she rested. She whispered, "Great, more ministry paperwork and trials."

Looking up from the papers he looked at her in her quiet-form. The sun made her look even more delicate and enlightened her beauty. Pale skin glowed, lose messy curls dangled around her shoulders and her neckline was beautiful. She didn't say much but looked to be grieving.

"The ministry should give you your wand back in a week or two after you are discharged. They evaluate your mental stability then send you on your way." He said to break his spell of taking in every detail about her body.

Brown eyes opened and she turned away from his face and wiped them. Then looked back at him, "No. It will be longer for me. I can't even produce magic anymore."

His quill stopped scribbling; his hand set and he looked up and was caught by her brown eyes and everything around them. "What do you mean?"

She was hesitant to tell him. In fact she didn't know why she was talking to him but for a small second she thought maybe, because he was a healer that he could get her magic revoked through St Mungos and Malfoy would be able to sign some papers or something. Maybe all her mistakes in the past year could be erased and she could start all over again. "A few months ago, after I finished my work on the dragon pox potion…I became so tired of magic that I signed all my rights to it away to the ministry."

Something made him uncomfortable. Maybe it was his plans he had in his head all coming to one big stop. No. He was sure it would all work out in the end. If Granger didn't want her magic then there was nothing he could do.

She continued, "I came back and put in a petition to get it back. They refused. I even tried to use the famous card and talked about my contribution to the Wizard society. Not only in the war but also for the potion. The ministry used me as an example in the public that you can't just sign your magic away and get it back because you are well known." In the middle of her explanation, she became emotional.

Suddenly his plans were re-charged on a different level and he had base once again to think. He now had something to bribe her with, something she could get out of the deal. When he looked at her face, she was fighting tears and her emotion was one he knew well. It was the face a child makes when they want something more than anything else in a store but know they can't have it and in that, they begin to cry.

"Look Granger, I'm going to do all I can to get it right."

She looked up at him, and into his silver eyes. Was he playing her? Was this Draco Malfoy? What did he want?

"What do you mean?"

"I can fix you." Said in a simple manner, but it seemed it could have meant five different things.

"What do you mean you can fix me?" she said it as sweetly as she could. Hoping he wouldn't realize that if this was all a joke, she'd be utterly devastated and he would walk away with a brownie point to add to his schoolboy badge of bad jokes and humiliations.

Then right then. As they both shared a glance, he stood up quickly and said, "I'm being paged. We can talk about this later. I'll have an assistant take you back to your ward."

She looked down at her tray. Then at the table where Draco began to gather his paperwork. She watched his hands. She loved watching people work with their hands. He seemed rather coordinated and orderly. Her grandmother once told her you learn a lot by people's hands. Draco must have been an uptight prick with little patience. Maybe it wasn't just his hands that gave him that title. She also have previous knowledge.

He took out his wand and cleaned up his mess. Then looked at her one last time, "I'll be around for your night observation before lights out, we can talk then. In the mean time, you are going to eat that butterscotch pudding and only then can you go to your ward."

He didn't give her time to protest. He simply shared a smirk and popped away.

* * *

He came back that evening, but neither brought up the earlier conversation of Hermione's problem. In fact she didn't even bring it up either. She was afraid to.

Emilie Granger had visited and sat talking about the grandchildren, Hermione just nodded and picked at the wool blanket. She was sitting Indian style on her bed and braiding her own hair.

"Nicola has a play. Do you think you'll be out of here by Christmas? The Christmas play is very important to her and you know how much the kids love their aunt. I know it's a month and a half away, but we would really like to have you home."

With every stroke she ran through her chestnut curls, she thought about his words. Could her magic be restored? How could Malfoy get it back? At what price?

Emilie sat and realized while they were in the same room physically, emotionally her young daughter's mind was off at another place. It looked almost as if she was transfixed on a thought. Like young love. Suddenly, she began to smile a wide grin, "Mione?"

Her ears had been listening but not completely. Her mother's call had gone unnoticed. Brush after brush. Stroke after stroke.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?"

However somehow she transgressed her mind and looked at her mother, "I'm sorry. I didn't catch that."

"You are in love with your doctor. He told me you went to school with him."

Her daughter looked disgusted, but the look could be taken as a cheap way to blow off her mother. "Oh no. No. No no no no. Just no, mum."

"Really? He seems to have taken an interest in you. Taking you to lunch instead of having you eat alone in your room?"

"He wants me to get sunlight."

"He could have opened a window, darling."

Hermione began to re-braid her hair, her eyes rolled to the ceiling, "It doesn't matter if I told you No five million times. You must have it in your head that we like each other and there is nothing I can do to change that."

Her mother was glowing, "I was talking to the nurses-"

"Medi-witches mum. They aren't nurses."

"Whatever they are, they say it seems that he likes you. He took an extra amount of time to make sure you were alright. Comes in every night and talks to you about how you're sleeping…"

Her daughter was more annoyed. Her breathing was large exhales excluded from her lungs and eye rolls. "Medi-witches are probably bored. He is doing what healers do. They like gossip and Malfoy is-"

"He's what?"

She wanted to talk about his stupid popularity and social standing and wealth in their world, but it hit her she couldn't make fun of him, because she was famous too. Not wealthy but equally famous. She wasn't in the mood to be blamed for hypocrisy, "A good healer." She covered her tracks, "they probably couldn't find anything on him and decided to start something."

"He is rather charming. If I wasn't married to your father…"

Hermione had heard enough, "Mum. Seriously. Please, I just ate, and it's hard to keep my food down as it is with the stuff they give me to sleep."

"Have you talked to Draco about that?" her mother chided with a giggle.

"When did you start calling him Draco?"

"All I'm saying is that he is a nice man. Sometimes I wonder about your sexuality."

"You think I like girls?"

"There were a few moments in your life, where your father and I didn't know if we were going to have to give up the church to support your life choice."

Hermione lay back against the pillows and her braids came undone. "Oh God. Mum. You're not helping my self confidence."

Her mother was hit a bit. She had been wondering why her daughter had tried to end her life. Even blamed herself. Her words were taken literally now. She bit back her emotion. She wasn't going to ask her daughter. Not now. There was guilt she felt for many reasons. Losing her daughter to the strange world. Ignoring her with anger because she had a relationship with Mrs. Weasley. Caring more about her grandchildren then her youngest child. Ignoring the signs of depression after the Wealsey boy dumped her. Watching her daughter's life slip and not being able to do anything. It all added up and it all hit her.

When she moved her hand from her eyes, she smiled and looked at her mother. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm just tired." She flashed a smile and stifled a yawn, "I think I need to head home."

Hermione sat up, "Oh. Okay." She seemed a bit sad and also frightened. She knew once her mother left, she'd be in a position for Malfoy to return. She was absolutely sure Malfoy was being a prick and this was all a joke. She wanted to avoid it all together.

Emilie kissed her daughter's head, "Get some rest. I'll be in tomorrow with Ruby."

The door closed behind her and the room was dark except for the television where a quidditch game was being held on the sports channel. She always kept her television muted or off because she had always preferred books. Even if they were her mother's stupid romance novels.

Then it flashed across the screen. An advertisement with blaring colors of Gold and burgundy. Then a flash of all the players. Ginger hair, dirty face and broken broom. A crooked smile. She was facing her ex fiancé in her hospital room. Alone.

Suddenly a thought hit her, she hadn't thought about her friends. Harry, Ginny…the Weasly's. They had to have heard. Yet she hadn't seen them. There was that sick feeling in her stomach. Worse than the feeling she got when her mother suggested sexual themes with Malfoy. She hadn't spoken to any of them since the break up. There had been letters and postcards from Ginny and Harry's honeymoon, but nothing but a few simple sentences.

She got up and moved the tubes and stem IV along with her over to the long table of flowers and gifts. She read tags and looked through cards. She had lost hope after the first ten minutes until she saw a small box, it had a book in it. A blank book for writing, wrapped in bright orange paper and it was from Ginny. She smiled and minimalistic love, if even small she had received.

It wasn't much, but it did give her hope. She turned towards the television and saw the muted actions of a man she used to know. She was forced to look into pain and suddenly she felt an urge to break the television. Taking a moment to calm herself, she simply walked over and began to reach for the buttons.

As her arm reached, she felt a tug in her arm where the IV was placed. It hurt, but she was so emotionally focused she ignored it. It wasn't until the room was completely black and she heard her television blink out that she heard another alarm.

For a few seconds she made her way back to the hospital bed but almost tripped.

The door opened quickly and harshly. The lights came on. Draco and another assistant strolled in quickly. She looked like a scared puppy. Her hands went up, "What the hell is that?"

Draco's blonde hair was messed up, he looked like a disaster and his eyes were narrowed, "Granger. Why'd you pull out your IV?"

The assistant gasped and pointed out the obvious, "Healer Malfoy, she is covered in blood. Do I get her something to change into?"

Hermione looked down to see her gown covered in her own blood and her arm dripping onto the floor. She had a small flashback to her bathtub and the razorblade…"I-I just went to turn off the-"

His eyes looked heavy and concerned. He cut her off quickly and suddenly she saw a face she knew too well. He was angry, pissed, tired and moody. "I don't care." He picked her up into his arms quickly and moved her over to her bed. He began holding pressure to her arm but he was also gentle not to cause pain. His wand came out quickly and slowly he fixed her the best he could.

"Nina, get me the triage kit. I'll do it myself." He snapped.

The assistant nodded and left. She seemed overwhelmed and deathly afraid.

"You didn't answer me." He said looking up at her. "Why'd you pull it out?" he snapped rudely and said it as if he had called her a mudblood.

"I went to turn off the telly. I didn't notice it coming out." She snapped back. "Why do you treat everyone around you like shit, Malfoy? That assistant didn't deserve that."

He was amazed at the fact that she was bleeding heavily and she only cared about the well-being of another person. Also, he was amazed that she had no problem yelling at him. Especially when others dared not to and he was the only thing keeping her together at the moment. He could just as easily stop helping her and let her die, and she knew that. Yet she still yelled at him. Still fought. He thought it was kind of cute.

The lime green scrub wearing assistant ran in with a leather bag. "Here you are."

She broke his attention from her and opened the bag. He took out different types of tools she had never seen before and he began to bandage her up.

The assistant watched closely, but stayed away, "Is this the appropriate space needed to observe, Healer Malfoy? I'm sorry about earlier. I had no idea I was in your bubble. I understand now."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, and then realized this must be who he was training. She felt pity for the poor thing, having to have to deal with patients and an asshole like Malfoy all day.

Draco breathed in and tried his best to be nice, "Look Nina, I'm not saying you shouldn't be close. Just not hovering over wounds where you can breathe into them and cause infections. Alright?"

Nina nodded but still looked frightened, "Okay."

"Aren't you glad you didn't trade healers, Granger? You would be placed with an assistant for most of your term here. Sometimes they don't know what they are doing."

Hermione managed a sweet smile, "I think you did brilliantly Nina, I'm Hermione Granger by the way."

"I know who you are." She said too quickly. Then realized her mistake and saw Draco's face. She began to talk to herself silently, "Right. I forget my notes. We must not get involved with the patients public or private life." She repeated that line a few times to herself before Draco turned back to Hermione.

The patient wondered why her healer hadn't followed his own rules with her. She looked down at her arm to see another I.V. placed and a bandage residing beautifully. She met his eyes with hers and softly said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rip it out. You look like you've had a horrible day." Hoping he would lighten up just a little. His eyes softened on her. She had the power to make him calm when nobody else he knew had. He wanted to kiss her in that moment. Just to try it. To get the thought out of his head that someone could have that power over him. It made him angry. If he just shagged her, it would be over and none of this would be happening. He'd be yelling at Nina and screaming at Hermione for being so stupid.

Nina's words were like vomit she couldn't control, "Horrible day? We were up and down the emergency unit and the surgical unit. Healer Malfoy is everywhere in this hospital. I didn't know that until last week. I went in for pediatric training and they place me with a guy who does everything. My first day here we had to pull a dragon spine bone out of a man's penis. Let me tell you-"

Draco and Hermione both starred this time. Hermione was weirded out by the Dragon story and Draco was livid. Obviously Nina was just another headache and by hour twelve with her, he was ready to avada himself or her if given the option.

The assistant just nodded. She knew Draco's faces by now. She knew when he looked like that it was time to disappear. "Okay then, I'm just going to leave now. Can I just clock out?"

"Please." He added rather quickly.

The lime green attack on the eyes disappeared, and Draco went back to tending to her equipment.

"How does a guy get…I mean…"

Draco couldn't contain the snicker he let escape, "That's the only thing you got from that?"

Her arms were crossed but quickly she moved them, "Ow! I didn't think it would hurt. It didn't hurt when it came out." Her skeletal fingers moved over the bandage.

"You must have been focused on turning off the television. What made you so determined? "

Caught off guard and not open for talking about her Ex and everything associated with it, she turned her head away "I was just tired and I can't sleep with it on." She lied to her best ability.

Taking a moment, he dropped in the chair next to her bed. His face went into his hands; he rubbed his eyes and laid his head against the wall. "You scared me, Granger. Don't do it again."

She was once again bombarded. Was this normal for him to care about his patients like this? No wonder his days were long and horrible. "I'll try not to."

The room was silent, except for the clerks out in the hall. She felt sad for him a bit. He looked like complete shit. "Have you ever taken a holiday, Malfoy?"

One eye opened, "Not in a long time." He began to get up again, "Do you need any sleeping remedy tonight?"

"The natural relaxants seem to not be working."

In his head he could only think of the ways he could make her tired. If he had his way with her she'd sleep the best sleep she hadn't had in a long time. He directed this aggression on thinking of a potion he could administer. She didn't like potions that could become additive and the natural alternatives weren't working.

Hermione broke the silent patch, it was a bit awkward. "Malfoy, do you think we could take a walk or something? The hospital is like a jail and I need some air." She knew he had a special interest in her and if her mother was right, he would bend a few rules.

He went from looking over her papers to pondering over her question, "Not tonight. Unfortunately the hospital needs three hours notice before any changes in patient's treatment."

"You mean you're going to sign it off as a treatment?"

"A walk in the park? Yeah. It's good for the mental state."

Suddenly she felt like he was calling her crazy, "No need if it's going to be trouble on your part."

"It's not a problem, Granger. The hospital usually bends my way anyhow. They don't tell me no often."

She didn't know what to say to that. It was a clear direct way of showing off his wealth and prominent standing. She knew however that at least she had something to look forward to.

"So what do I give you to help you sleep?"

"You're the healer, Malfoy."

His smirk was relevant, "How about sleeping draught. You seem to know more about that."

Silence fell once again. She wasn't sure if he was referring to the incident in their second year. She wouldn't know how he could have known. She kept her mouth shut.

"I always wondered how you never were sorted in Ravenclaw. You are cunning, Hermione Granger."

"Yes, I guess." She played stupid. Looking over her bandage and thinking about Ron. What he was doing, where he had been and if he knew she was even alive. Somehow her old friends had found her, by mind only.

"You can try to play ignorant, but you were the one who told me."

The thoughts were gone quickly, "Excuse me?"

"Granger, you do know that basic procedure with muggle related suicide attempts is that we give them a little bit of truth serum. This is so we can rule out any medications or potions you might have taken before." He was smirking the whole time, enjoying her face expression change from tired to angry and guilty. He said it almost seriously. Like he was telling her as a healer would tell all their patients, but his smirk killed it. He was enjoying this too much.

Deep inside she was raging. This came up now! How could they just do that? Was it even legal? What else had she told him?

Swallowing all she could and looking down at her hands, "Well. I guess it doesn't matter anymore. We were all a bit childish then, right?"

Her words were simple, but they meant so much more to him. She had no idea how he would use them later. "Agreed, I'm glad you did what you had done Granger. Potter may be annoying and yes, I could care less for him or the weasels…but if you hadn't I wouldn't be here."

Draco Malfoy was full of surprises, she knew he had to have some change of heart, but she didn't know he would ever scoop down to the level of thanking her. Ron and Harry would have found this delightful, but she didn't want to think about them right now. So she focused on Draco, "Are your parents proud of the fact you are a healer?"

It was the first time she had mentioned his family in their conversations. He couldn't believe how well she was melting into his hands. It was almost falling into place perfectly. His whole plan was coming together right in front of him. "My mother pretends to like the fact I'd rather help someone remove a table leg from their face then go shopping with her…"

She let out a giggle. Draco was good at passing jokes. Some of them were crude, unintentionally rude and rather dry…but she had grown to accept them. Sometimes she even laughed.

"All in all though, they've learned to just adjust with the changing times." He had worded it perfectly. "Father has always been a battle, but he too has changed. A lot. I introduced him to muggle technology and how it could expand our business. He doesn't seem too bothered anymore." He only opened up because the way he saw it, they'd be married. There was nothing he couldn't tell her now that she wouldn't find out later. He had no doubts in his mind that this couldn't work.

She fell silent. It seemed as if everyone had changed or was changing now. If the Malfoys could turn around and be citizens of an inter-breeding community…why couldn't she start over from the mess she had made? Start something new. The thoughts always hit her. They were uncertainty. Her whole life had been plans and scribbles in notebooks and she was sure of every step ahead. The only uncertainty she had allowed was her relationship with Ron. When that came down, so did everything else.

Nothing seemed clear anymore, and she had no plans for her life after she left the hospital. This scared her more than Voldemort himself.

She began to feel intensely sleepy. As if she was slowly slipping. She began to wonder about the orange wrapping and the boy of the sister who sent it. Her eyes closed. She wished they had visited her… the last image she saw before she fell asleep was the gifts across the room.

He wasn't quick to give anything away. He simply just watched her fall asleep. He didn't warn her about the potion he had just administered because he knew she would have been upset about the potency. He was more worried about her health then her own personal objections. Sometimes people just had to step in. The loss of sleep had been affecting her weight gain and her mental well being. If her family wasn't going to step in, he was.

* * *

The night was so cold that when he exhaled he could see steam. It reminded him of cigar smoke. He could use a good smoke right about now. He was sort of a hypocrite when it came to things like that. Smoking cigars and drinking…they were sometimes needed to relax him after a long days work. Yet he had no problem yelling at patients about indulging in such things.

He was quiet and observant as he made his way through the service door into the kitchen. Not that his parent's would hear. They weren't even close enough to hear a gunshot. He hated the manor for many reasons. One was its fancy appeal. It didn't really feel like a home, and the memories here weren't the best.

His mother hired designers and changed certain rooms ever season and every holiday. With Christmas a month or so away, it had been transformed into a winter wonderland. It even smelt like cinnamon and cake. Yet his mother had no idea how to even begin making a cake. She must have hired a chef just for the holiday season.

When he approached his father's office, he was surprised to hear voices. Usually his parent's would have retired for the night by now. This was going to be great…just fucking great.

He didn't knock, because his mother's voice could be heard. If his mother was in there then it wasn't anything important. His father was a big believer in keeping women out of business ventures. Not that his mother was ever really interested either.

"Good evening." He strided, taking off his heavy expensive coat and draping it over one of the regal leather chairs.

Narcissa Malfoy was wearing long dressing robes and drinking a hot drink of some kind. She looked to be pondering over something. She rose a bit when her son went to kiss her cheek and then gestured for him to sit. "You should say good morning. Does the hospital always keep you this late?"

He didn't. Instead he extended a hand to shake Severus Snape's grasp and then nodded in his father's direction before taking a place by the fire. "Tonight was gastly."

Lucius Malfoy had lost his track of conversation, he picked up a new subject with his son, "Thought you could grab the information while I was sleeping?"

Placing his reading glasses on his face and looking down, he gave his father a smirk. "No. I'm just helping."

"If you weren't so busy taking care of other people's messes you wouldn't have to come here late at night and finish these things."

Draco blew him off, "I enjoy what I do. I understand you want me to take responsibility for this, and I will. You are the one who gets all bothered when I even mention your retirement."

Narcissa cut in, "You two. There are bigger things we should discuss while we have Draco here, darling."

Snape seemed to be sipping a scotch. They didn't even bother to care if he was listening anymore. As far as he was concerned, there wasn't much that fazed him anymore.

Lucius nodded angrily, "I tell him this every time he is here. Does he listen? I taught him how to ride a broom and cast spells. The rest is up to you, woman."

Narcissa became a bit unsettled yet she remained calm, "Draco, you have to be married. It is important. You're inheritance is not accessible until then and it will go to your distant cousin if you do not. I know you are busy. However as far as we are concerned the whole healing nonsense-"

"Is utter blasphemy." Lucius spit it out there in the open, "you are going to grow up, and take responsibility for the future of your own self and this family as well."

Draco's fingers stopped placing the papers and he took off his glasses and put the folder back on the oak table, "I am." Scooting to the edge of the chair and running his fingers through his hair. There was more pressure in his chest now. "I have a plan."

When he looked up, his eyes met his father's own. He could see his son was tired and worn. "Explain, then."

"I'm going to marry Hermione Granger."

It got very quiet. Snape looked at his Godson and then Narcissa and Lucius, "your son has lost it."

Narcissa was puzzled, "When did you start seeing the girl? Isn't she the one who tried to commit suicide? The one that Wealsey boy talked about in that interview to witch weekly?"

Draco spoke again, "I'm not ready to find a wife so soon. I know I will eventually…"

Lucius was annoyed already, "If the Granger girl is your choice, then fine. Explain yourself."

"I'm going to marry Granger. Strike a deal with her of some kind. We, with our influence on the ministry can get her magic back. I'm going to use that. My marriage to her will only last a year at the most. This allows me to inherit what's mine and also be able to have my free privileges later on to slowly get married again. There is nothing on that outdated book that says I can't divorce who I please. Also there are other things that can benefit from this." He stopped. His mother's face was white and his father looked surprisingly intrigued.

Snape simply finished his drink and shook his head, "You are insane, Draco. What could you possibly benefit from this besides a large mess?"

Lucius spoke this time, "public benefit."

Draco was surprised how good his father had caught on, "Exactly, with Granger on our side it allows us to climb high once again. All those lawsuits against father…_how could they possibly cause pain too Hermione granger's sweet old father in law? Hasn't she been through enough? Why can't the ministry just leave her and her family alone?_"

Narcissa nodded quietly, "I still think you should just get married, but I understand that your birthday is seven months away and to process everything and get your inheritance it would take about that much time. I see where maybe a scam marriage is relevant but-"

"Mother. Think about this. All those people who look down upon us, those secrets behind your back and the social standing that has fallen…what if Granger could fix that. One interview about how our family is just so friendly with hers and seeing her out around the towns with her. Those comments, those snide remarks…they'd be gone. You'd be the mother in law to someone our world has known to have saved thousands of lives. Imagine your image after."

Snape cut in, "This is all fine until you divorce the girl. Then she will be loved and you will be hated."

"No. No it wouldn't be like that. We'd both have what we wanted and we'd split amicably. She'd get a decent amount of profit and her magic restored. I'd get my inheritance and freedom."

"Yes but you are forgetting that Ms. Granger hates you." Snape was enjoying this a bit too much.

"She is a very reasonable person. I believe I can persuade her into agreeing. Actually, I'm pretty certain I can."

Narcissa Malfoy seemed to be on her toes a lot with her son, yet she couldn't believe she was agreeing with his plan. Then again it could be the fact she would have something to brag about once more. It really was her best talent. That, shopping and casting concealment charms.

The elder Malfoy seemed to have actually thought of his son's plan as intelligent and cunning. He wasn't exactly happy with it, but at this point…they'd do anything to restore the family name. "Don't forget Harvey Ringer. He has that business that could make us triple in revenue. I've been working towards this for years and finally the old man says he'd give his business up to a family orientated company."

Sure, the Malfoys were close personally, but from the outside they were viewed as cold people. What could be more warm and soft then a muggleborn witch who came from a close family? The way they saw it, she was a princess that could do no wrong and wore ribbons in her hair. An innocent and intelligent Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy in the wizarding world.

Draco had won them over. Except for Snape, but he really didn't matter to him. "Severus, think of it this way. If you are seen with Hermione in the press, Dumbledore's pride and joy…do you really think those trials will still be held against you?"

He had caught him. Snape just swallowed a whole glass of brandy whole and continued to pour another.

Lucius spoke up, "What about potter and the Weasleys? Isn't she dating their son? They'd know it was a scam."

Draco looked to be excited as he spoke, "No. You don't get it. I don't know what happened before, but they haven't contacted her in awhile. Something must to have happened to their friendship."

His mother got up quickly and grabbed a witch weekly off another table, she pointed at the cover of it and it had Ron Weasley on a couch and behind the scenes of some quidditch game he had been disqualified from. "The interview was taken two months ago. He talks about how he and Hermione broke up. His answers are simple. The boy is unintelligent but there seems to be some hostility there. Granger hasn't given an interview in months. She hasn't even spoken a word about her potion for Dragon Pox. No interview about her suicide attempt. Imagine with the right clothes, the right training, positive hair reinforcement and a few mind games…she'd be butter in our hands. We separate her completely from Potter and that retched family. Her first interview to the public will be announcing your engagement and about how your love for one another saved her. The press will go crazy."

It was then in that room that they all agreed on something that at first seemed out of this world and criminally insane. They had all something to gain. There was no need to agree or give handshakes or some stupid ritual. The rest of the night they shared equal glances, drinks and talked freely about other things. As far as they were concerned, Draco's plan would happen. There would be a wedding. Everything would work out. Granger had no choice in the matter. The Malfoys were excellent at the game of persuasion. They never took no for an answer and they always got exactly what they wanted.

* * *

**Author's note: I know. I know. I should stop my horrible writing here. I promise I try my hardest. It's kind of just what's on my mind. Maybe my mind is the fucked up one in this relationship. **

**2angelwings, lalalaniebug, gentlemidnite, the-clumsy-one, alwaysthere2, Team Dramione, and hottopicgirl…Thank you so much for the magic. I love each and every single one of you. **

**Helikesitheymikey, it wasn't that I worded it wrong…it was the fact I didn't know how to write that. My bad. Thank you for being my eyes. I appreciate it. **


	4. Where hands and numbers are concerned

_I am trapped with the thought we will be together again. If you are reading this…congratulations. You're alive. If that's not something to smile about, then I don't know what is. _

The trees were dark and tall and they surrounded her like a large fortress that expanded for miles. She was safe here; she could feel it in her bones. Every time her foot took a step, the soggy leaves and dirty mirth would squish underneath her toes. She felt cold, as if the whole dark wooden area had frozen over.

She stood there, her simple white dress a float in the midnight air. Her arms folded against her shoulders. Steam came out of her pale lips. She stood there and felt the wind blow. Nothing scared her anymore. Nothing could shake her.

His red hair had drifted from focus. She couldn't see past the last layer of trees. He had walked too far.

"Ron?"

Her pale skin glowed against the night backdrop of darkness and rustic trees. She was alone once again. She hated this feeling. Yet, she wasn't frightened. "Ron?" she spoke again. Her hand outreaching towards the trees that moved with the wind. Her back to the unknown darkness behind her.

Her voice became more fragile and frantic, yet still so soft. "Ron. Don't leave me here." Her voice was raspy and hurt, "You promised."

When her hand shook, it was from the rush of harsh wind that had touched it. She gasped and moved it quickly to her side. Her eyes were the only warmth she felt as tears brimmed and brewed. They fell onto her cold cheeks. Sniffles were simple yet attacking her whole body's movement.

For a few cold moments she stood there, her brown eyes were glowing with liquid and fire. Limbs shivering from the dead of cold the harvest season had brought. The fallen dead leaves reminded her of his hair and the place their relationship had succumbed too.

"You promised." She sobbed and slowly the view of trees slipped in to a fading black like haze…she could see no more.

_You consume me._

* * *

Her eyes opened to a view of her hand, covered in tubes and tape and down on her wrist a paper hospital bracelet was placed. If she had gone completely senile, all she had to know about who she was could be found typed on her paper bracelet. She even had a case number. 34597.

34597 had the most calm dream and yet frightening the same. 34597 was wondering about the scars on her arm. 34597 felt her eyelids droop but refused to sleep.

She was afraid the dream would return and in that dream, Ron never came back to her. She died in the cold waiting.

Her eyes tried to focus on anything that wasn't sleep. Her heart rate was normal; she could see the blue lines bounce against the screen of the new medical equipment she was sure the ministry had paid good money for. A long rhythm every time her heart moved in her chest. How could something broken and torn keep moving? Then the same thoughts came. The ones that would find her in the darkest hours. She was supposed to be dead. She wasn't supposed to be here. Those dreams should have left her by now.

When she moved her head, it felt heavy. The time across the wall on an old digital clock said four in the morning. Which would explain why it was still a mix between light and dark through the hospital blinds. The color was a dark blue with a hint of violet. In an hour or two, it would slip into an eternal sunshine.

Something caught her attention. Yet she was already slipping back into sleep. Steam was rising from a white disposable coffee cup, and when she sniffed the room, it confirmed it. Was she dreaming? Was she even awake?

Someone had been in the room or someone was in the room. She went to open her mouth, but she couldn't even pronounce a syllable from her tired lips.

She saw a flash of blonde hair and a smile. Yet her vision became dark and slowly she fell back asleep. She returned back to the same forest. 34597 froze to death.

* * *

A young girl had finally stayed quiet long enough for her aunt to read her a book. She seemed content, but she still asked a lot of questions. Hermione felt bad that her family never answered ugly questions. They ignored them. Sometimes she can remember how she had known nothing about the bad until she had gone to Hogwarts and how angry she had been with her family.

"And now, Good night. It is time to sleep. So we will sleep with our pet Zeep. Today is gone. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. Every day, from here to there. Funny things are everywhere."

Ruby was more focused on the colorful bracelet on her aunt's wrist then the actual story. She lay back against Hermione on the hospital bed. She had been left here by her grandmother who went to go run some errands. She liked it best when the nanny wasn't around. She loved her aunt.

"Aunt Hermione?" she asked as she caught a glimpse of her aunt's wrist. "Why are you in the hospital?"

The brunette kissed her head and placed the book on a table. She thought of a good answer. One sugar-coated. Yet, she began to feel like her mother and her sister. She wanted to be the aunt of refuge who could tell her what was really going on. She just went out with it "I cut myself."

"On accident?"

"No. Not exactly."

"Does it hurt?"

"No. They give me something for that."

"Are you going to be here forever?"

"No. I'll be coming home soon. See, I'm wearing jeans. They let me wear normal clothes now. So that's a good sign."

"No. Aunt Mione, are you going to be _here_ forever?" she said the same question but it had a whole different meaning.

Hermione couldn't concentrate on the question. Her mind was full and jumbled. She focused on clearing feelings aside. Why was she even here? Magic had been everything and now it was gone. What did she have to live for anymore? If she wanted she could attempt ending everything again. She didn't want to tell Ruby one thing and then do another. It would scar her. "I'm trying, Ruby. Everyone dies when they get older. Nobody lives forever."

The younger girl was quiet but she nodded in acceptance, "Will you try really hard?"

Hermione handed her a pen and a piece of scrap paper Nina had found for her to draw on. She was silent once again thinking of an answer. Ruby spoke again, "I would miss you if you left before you are old."

"I am old." She chided, trying to change into a playful tone.

"You are younger than mum. So she would have to be really old. Plus you haven't had babies yet."

"Babies?" Hermione laughed, "Those are a long way off for me. I'm only twenty four."

"Exactly. So you aren't old enough to leave me then. You have babies so they carry on where you stopped."

Hermione laid her chin into the child's soft hair, she was touched by the child's innocent remarks "You are incredibly smart, Ruby Elizabeth Granger-Middleton."

She watched as her niece produced images on the paper. The small child spoke once more except quietly, "Do you promise you will have babies, aunt Mione?"

She did find this a bit humorous, her six year old niece giving her orders to have children. Yet, Ruby must have been deathly afraid that her aunt would leave and never come back.

She whispered again, "If you have babies, then you can leave and I won't miss you so much because then I will have little people who are part of you and I won't feel as bad. I can tell them about you and so they won't be sad either."

"I'm not going to leave you so soon. Okay?" she whispered back. She added a small hug she could handle, but her arms were fragile and weak. Kissing Ruby's curls and quickly wiping her own eyes.

Ruby turned around and gestured at her paper. The white sheet had circles and squares and polka dots and strings. They were people a six year old had drawn together. Hermione watched her small face look optimistic. "I drew you and your babies. I even drew my uncle."

"Wait. Now you are marrying me off?"

"No, I just drew the guy granny and mummy keeps talking about. They call him your boyfriend."

Her stomach sank. She didn't want Ruby to get attached to Ron. She was afraid that she already had, "My boyfriend?"

"Yes. Here is his face, his arms, his black shiny shoes and his blonde hair."

Suddenly she had to take a double look at the paper, not that you could really tell the difference in a child's drawing. Except at least Hermione had an upside down m for breasts and a crazy curly fry shape to represent her hair. "What's my boyfriend's name, Ruby?"

"Danny."

"Danny?"

"Well. I didn't exactly hear his name. Mum told me to go to bed and I snuck in to get a cookie and they were like 'D is so cute. D has a nice bum. D is smart. D is sweet. D and Hermione should date. Blah blah blah. That asshole at Harrods misplaced my order. Blah blah blah.' I thought I heard Danny or Drake."

Hermione was now angry with her mother. She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.

"You don't like my picture?" her niece asked studying her aunt's focused face.

"No, Ruby. It's a beautiful drawing." She decided to change the subject from her 'husband'. "What's this?" she pointed to a circle with strings flying out of it and two dots that must be eyes.

"That is your dog!" she exclaimed proudly, "Mum doesn't let me have a dog because she thinks they are gross, so you have one that I can visit."

"Wonderful." Hermione smiled sarcastically. "Am I really that big?"

"No. You have a baby in your tummy."

"Oh. Well, that's just fantastic, Ruby. You are going to be an artist or a really good terrorist."

"What's a terrorist?"

"Ask Granny, she is an expert."

* * *

Hermione took lunch on the outside patio with Ruby. Her mother was supposed to have returned sooner, but now she sat in front of her aunt eating butterscotch pudding, cookies and jello.

When Draco Malfoy went to check on her, she wasn't in the room. He had spent five minutes asking assistants if they had seen where she went. None of them, not even Nina had a clue. It wasn't until he reached the café that he saw through the window that a small girl in a red dress and familiar patient were eating.

Walking up to the table, he saw Hermione hand the younger girl all of the most fattening foods on her tray. "So Granger, is this how you are avoiding the food I've had ordered for you?"

Hermione smiled proudly, "No, I'm just being a nice aunt and treating my niece to some sweets. You don't mind do you?"

Ruby looked at him; her mouth was full of pudding. She swallowed and then smiled, "Aunt Mione was right, you are a nosy guy." She turned back towards the treats in front of her and began to eat a cookie.

"I'm not nosy."

She dropped the cookie and looked at her aunt, "Are all healers like this?"

Hermione shrugged, "It's their job, Ruby."

"Doctors aren't nosy." She shot back, "Why are healers so nosy?"

"Aren't doctors those crazy muggles who cut people up and such?" Draco sipped his water and raised his eyebrows. "Calm down kid, eat your cookie."

He took a seat next to Hermione and put his feet up in another chair. Hermione was taking bites of her fish and touching none less. He took in everything about her. She wore jeans today and a simple pink V neck t-shirt. She wore a scarf and a cream colored sweater. The weather was supposed to be cold, but the hospital had cast charms that allowed it to be a neutral cool temperature outside for patients to enjoy their meals.

Hermione looked at him before she handed Ruby another cookie, "So. You were in my room this morning." She glanced at him and opted for a small smile, "You think I wouldn't remember? I was half awake and I remember the smell of coffee and the shine of your shoes against the metal of the hospital bed."

"A lot of people drink coffee."

"My family does not. Plus visiting hours are from eight in the morning to eleven at night."

Moving his arms out in a you-caught-me-gesture, "I'm your healer. I was checking your body temperature. Basic procedure for patients during winter terms in the wards."

Ruby starred at him and then shot in, "Doctor's have nurses do all that work for them. Then they can go home and eat roast beef and spend their money on cars and puppies."

He turned towards her, "It's Ruby, right?"

She nodded and ate another cookie, "It's my name, don't ware it out."

"Right, so you want to be a doctor? What's so great about doctors?"

"My dad is a doctor." She gave him a snooty smirk, "They also aren't nosy, like you."

"That's because doctors don't do their jobs. The assistants do."

Hermione kicked his thigh underneath the table, "Malfoy."

Ruby didn't seem fazed, "Healers don't get their hands dirty. They just have spells and magic."

"So?" he shrugged, "We do get our hands dirty, and yes we do use magic. We don't cut people up like animals either. So what?"

"So does the tooth fairy."

He seemed confused because he didn't know what that was, but he was insulted because it had fairy in the title. "Granger, I think I'm being insulted by a six year old."

"Isn't that like a typical afternoon for you Malfoy?" she smirked at him. Then went back to chipping the nail polish of her nails she still hadn't removed completely. "You got into an argument with a child, whatever she gives back you deserved."

He hated children. He knew he'd like his own one day, but he hated others spawn. He decided to make an effort because this child was favored by Granger, "So Ruby…what are your favorite things to do?"

"I like to draw pictures." She reached for her aunt's milk and took a drink and placed it back on the tray. "Right, Aunt Mione?"

Hermione nodded but wanted to change the subject from drawings, "When is your mother supposed to be here?"

"How should I know?"

Malfoy was growing more annoyed. She seemed to be precocious and loud. Rude and un-mannered. A typical muggle brat. He really was trying his best. There was a reason kids were supposed to be taught at a young age to respect people. Not that he ever did, but there was something in him that believed his children would get the best of everything, they'd get the best tutors and nannies and of course freedom. Something his father never gave him was the pleasure of being a regular kid. He caught himself. Kids shouldn't even be on his mind.

Hermione handed the girl a napkin, "Ruby, please don't squish the jello in-between your teeth. It isn't very lady like."

She stopped and swallowed, then smiled and giggled "Is that what you learned when you were a debutante?"

Draco suddenly was more interested in this little girl, "Your aunt was a debutante?"

The brunette suddenly wished she kept talking about art. The fact her niece drew them as a married couple wasn't as bad as the fact she had once been a debutante. "Ruby. Shut it."

The little girl grinned like a Cheshire cat, "Yes. When she was sixteen. Granny says she was pretty in a white dress. I want to do it one day."

Hermione shook her head, "Ruby, no no no. Have I taught you nothing? You rise against all of those things."

"Granny says I can get a pretty white dress-."

"Yes, horrible puffy dresses that make you look fat."

"She says there will be boys and I can dance-."

"Yes, boring boys who want only one thing from you."

"There will be cake-."

"The cake is actually good, but no. Ruby, No."

Draco cut in, "So Granger, why'd you make fun of my friends in school when you were just almost the same?"

"Look Malfoy, it's different okay?"

"How so? We had similar ceremonies. I didn't know your parents participated in things like that."

She turned towards him, "My parents were dentists you see with very important and famous clients and my father comes from a…well-off family. Well, my grandmother begged my sister to go into society and she ate nuts a week before the ceremony and my grandmother refused to allow her to participate with her face swollen. Of course, a few years later I was the last grandchild and last granddaughter. The summer after one of m terms they told me if I didn't participate they wouldn't let me go back to Hogwarts." She said it quickly as if she was trying to clear the air and move on from the subject.

Ruby blew her cheeks up, "Is that why you call mum a puffer-fish?"

Draco looked at Hermione, "So you come from a wealthy family, Granger. So what? No need to hide it from the world."

"I didn't hide it." She spat but tried to be friendly with Ruby watching them, "It just wasn't important."

"We might have been nice to you."

Snapping back, "Really? A mudblood like me? Who would have thought to be nice to a piece of filth like me?"

His mouth stayed quiet and he looked cross. She always had to bring this up. He had thought they had got somewhere past all the school drama. He wanted to move on.

The little girl starred at her aunt, "You aren't filthy."

Hermione had forgotten her presence for a small second, "Thank you, Ruby."

"What's a mudblood?"

Draco spoke this time, "It's a horrible word. Some people, small minded may I remind you, use it to make people feel worse about a condition they can't control. This condition caused a large war in our world. We were able to find peace. Now the word is only used by people with foul language and racist tendencies. Only vulgar people use it."

He had confused her, but she was still too small to comprehend some things no matter how intelligent she was for her age. She blinked a few times and looked down at her jello. Her large eyes were sad as she looked to her aunt, "Did people bully you?"

Hermione was too busy thinking about his reply, but she nodded and said, "Its better now, though." She smiled at Malfoy, "Some of those bullies apologize and grow up. They become friends." She didn't know why she did. Maybe it was because of how he had changed. She used to think the ministry was wrong to drop trial against him, she learned firsthand he wasn't that bad anymore.

Inside he felt a flicker of brightness. She had called him a friend. Something he could lean on. A step forward instead of backwards.

He looked back at her. For a second. Just to see the first smile on her face since the day she was registered into the emergency care unit. It was beautiful and rare.

The little girl smiled once again. She took another bite of jello and her eyes drifted to a dream like state. Like when she would watch a princess movie about a girl finding her prince. The way they looked at each other in that moment was sweet. It wasn't forced. Children could see things when adults were too blind to believe them. As far as she was concerned this was her aunt's Danny. They would leave the hospital, get married and her aunt would wear a big puffy white dress at their wedding, then they would leave her with babies to babysit on Friday nights and her aunt would be so happy she'd never think about leaving the world too soon. Then in five years they'd come to her debutante ball and they would buy her a really nice gift and eat cake. They would live happily ever after.

* * *

_I used to feel so alone in the city. All those gazillions of people and then me, on the outside. Because how do you meet a new person? I was very stumped by this for many years. And then I realized, you just say, "Hi." They may ignore you. Or you may marry them. And that possibility is worth that one word. ____~ Augusten Burroughs_

She hung over the bridge and looked down at the half frozen water. Her curls came to the front of her face, creating a curtain that blocked his view from her face, "How's the fresh air, Granger?"

Her whole body reacted beautifully to the cold winter air and she lifted her face to the sky for a few silent moments. At first he thought she was going to ignore him or maybe she had really gone mad. Then he realized her mind had flown off like a hippogriff. She wasn't next to him in heart; she was flying away from her life and experiencing what it felt to be a snow angel. She was trying to remember those moments when her body had slipped off into limbo.

"Granger?"

Her head came back down; she looked back at her hands and then the park railing, "Yea?"

He moved the subject from where her mind had been. He really wasn't interested in the dark and rough edged places that she could have just imagined, "I think, in a week…I'm going to put in for your discharge."

He caught a small smile form in the corner of her mouth. However by the time she moved the hair from her face it had disappeared. "It's quite beautiful, isn't it?"

"Sure." He tried to look interested. "It looks quite nice, I guess."

"Well, I wouldn't expect you to care. You can see this anytime you want. I however don't have that privilege. So to me, this is a treat. I forgot how much I love the outside. The winter air is colder than I remember it being."

He held in his rude thought on her comment and played the gentleman, "You want my coat?"

"No. I'd like to experience the non-smothering for a bit longer, thanks."

Rolling his eyes and stuffing his hands in his pockets, he turned his back to her, "Touchy, Granger. Just being friendly." He took out a cigarette and lit up with his wand as a quick fire starter. When he turned to look at his patient she was sitting on the edge of the bridge like pass way they were standing on looking down at the frozen water.

"What the fuck Granger!"

She turned towards him, a demented but secretive sweet smile placed, "I'm not going to jump. I promise. Don't you trust me?"

"I turned my back for five seconds. Do I trust you?" he was slowly panicking at how easy it would be for her to take a lunge forward and plunge herself into the nearly frozen water below. "You are a fucking mental patient Granger. I don't trust you."

"Is it normal for healers to smoke?" she asked. "I thought it was incredibly horrible for your health."

"Don't change the subject." He moved behind her and forced his hand into hers from behind. "Come on. Up you go. Back to solid ground."

She wasn't welcoming his hand but she couldn't lose his grip even if she tried. With a large grumble of annoyance she allowed him to pull her up and back to the pavement beside him. Away from the ledge of death.

She didn't anticipate that they'd be this close. Face to face. His hand still holding hers with a firm but gentle grasp, "Malfoy, I wasn't going to jump."

He seemed to be searching her eyes for something while his face was incredibly stern. When she had been forced to look at him, with his face centimeters away from hers, she blushed and looked down at their hands that were still together. Slowly, his grasp softened and she moved her hand back to her side.

She couldn't help but giggle at his questioning glare. It was as icy and cold as the November weather that surrounded them.

"Yeah Granger, I bet you think that shit is real bloody funny." He spat out, "It isn't, alright."

She suddenly felt a bit frightened for the first time being around him. He was in a deadly mood now. Worse than when she accidentally pulled her IV out.

Her eyes drafted back down to the mirth brick pavement and she watched his cigarette light slowly burn and falter away. "I'm sorry I made you lose your cigarette…"

Taking off his coat and placing it around her shoulders, he made an effort to try to talk things out when all he wanted to do was scream at her for being unintelligent. For being someone else then he knew she was. "Look, it's not the cigarette, alright. I'm tired of your attitude towards death. The fact that you don't think it will effect anyone else if you just cut your wrists or jumped off that fucking bridge over there. Grow up Granger." Well, he at least tried.

"Hey!" she shot back with trembling lips, "I told you I wasn't going to jump. Also, when did it matter to you? When did you become my guardian? Did my parents sign all my rights away too you or something? Did we get married when I was in that coma? Stop smothering me and trying to teach me something."

He lost his temper and she was pushing every button he had. "I'm not smothering you. I'm doing my job. A month and a half ago when your parents brought you in I was sure that the girl who had tried to end her life knew every book, every story and needed no education whatsoever. I'm slowly beginning to realize that the only education you need now is the one from the people around you. Your family."

"My family? My bloody family? What family, Malfoy? My mum knows nothing about my life. My father disapproves of my schooling and choice of lifestyle. My sister is married with children to a wealthy doctor and that makes her the most successful. All my brothers went to Oxford, Brown and Harvard. Don't you get it Malfoy? I'm a failure at being a Granger. They don't understand me. The only reason they hang around now is because they feel an obligation to do so. An obligation they wouldn't have if you would just have left me to die, you bastard." When the last word left her mouth she had tears in her eyes and her cold hand went to her trembling lips. She was shocked by what came out of her mouth. Her eyes starred in shock at what she had just admitted. She seemed sick with herself.

He watched in horrible disbelief as she began to violently cry in front of him. She kept hiding it and now she was so upset she didn't even care if he saw. She moved over to the edge once again but instead of climbing up and jumping off. She was calm and she simply rested her face in her hands and began to sob.

His feet moved slowly over to her side. He watched as Granger, the know it all bookworm slowly descended from her Gryffindor throne. She wiped her tired eyes and sniffled. When she turned towards him and the wind was causing her cheeks to turn pink and her nose to turn red, he still thought she was beautiful. Maturity and curves had done wonders for Granger. She seemed to have forgotten who he was, her voice was shaken and she whispered so only he could hear, "Magic was my life. I fought for it. It's my fault it's gone. I've had to force myself to accept that I'll never have it again."

Taking a moment to think of his next words, he knew where to take off from this moment. Yet there was one thing he wanted to know, "Hermione…" he called her by her first name in a civil manner, "Why did you try to harm yourself?"

In this moment it was as if he wasn't Draco Malfoy the prat, he was a mature older man who had taken his place. The slytherin King had grown up. She didn't speak at first. Her eyes just stared down at the water. Her hair a float in the winter breeze. Her bones and ligaments for arms folding into his heavy wool over coat, "I gave him my career. I followed him to every game, every try out and every dream he wanted to chase. I supported him by working my bones off in stupid jobs I was overqualified for. Then when he hit it big and had a taste of something better, he threw me out. I was rubbage."

This was unexpected but he should have known the Weasley shithead had something to do with her suicide attempt. That Granger would have been so naïve to believe his foolish boyish charm and sacrifice everything for him to get nothing in return. Yet, Hermione was always doing the sacrificing. Even Malfoy knew that. He wouldn't be surprised if the weasel and potter had graduated from their friend doing all the schoolwork.

There was silence once again in-between the two. Hermione looked out at the mountains and back at him. She didn't know why he was easy to talk to. He shouldn't have been. She was always trying to stop herself, but then she would have this feeling that maybe she was holding onto past grudges, she was being judgmental. Her mother and father were very judgmental people. Was she growing up to be them? Was she already at that point?

He cleared his throat, "I'm not sorry for what I just said."

Shooting him a mixed glare she simple blew him off, "Me either, Malfoy."

"I guess your day at the park is ruined then." He moved his arms next to hers on the railing and looked out at the water and the mountains and the green grass.

"Yeah, a lot of things have been ruined. Everything turns to shit it seems like." Her face was away from him, looking down at the water.

"You know…" he began but slowly took it back. When she looked at him, he seemed to be in thought. "Granger, you…"

"Yes?" she asked, turning her body away from the bridge and leaning back against the cold metal. The heavy wool she wore smelt of expensive cologne and a musky manly scent. It was a warming feeling she felt.

He looked over at her. How she seemed so tiny in his coat. He practically towered over her and she was pocket sized now. "You shouldn't let Weasley ruin the rest of your life for you. Or your family for that matter. You are brilliant. What about your bookstore?"

Folding her arms and raising her eyebrows she lost herself in the cold air, "I'm not even sure it's doing well. You see it's located in the middle of this quaint little village. I don't sell many books. I would really love to sell it and just move away from that apartment."

"What? You tire of the old fashioned shoe shine smell rising into your room?" he smirked.

Her brown eyes blinked, she looked a bit taken back, "How'd you know about the shoe emporium?"

He was caught now, but he really didn't care. His lips pursed and he rolled his eyes like he knew the words that he was about to expel from his mouth were going to cause some kind of riot in Granger's brain, "I own the village you live in, Granger."

Pupils in her eyes dilated and she could only look at him. "How can you just own a village?"

"My parents own the buildings, the property….the rights. That big house in the valley? My residence."

"Why?" was all she had managed to bring from her mouth.

"I hate living with my parents in the manor." He spoke as if her question was stupid.

"No, I mean why have you been interested in my case? You can't just say it's your job. Healers don't risk their jobs for patients by bringing them to parks. They don't get interested in patient's backgrounds." She took a moment to ponder then finally caught on, "Malfoy, what is it you want from me?"

He stood there counting all the lies he could say to pro-long what he had been planning to say since the night it all came to him. Taking a large jump he looked at her in a simple way, "I can get your magic back for you, but I'm not going to do so if you're just going to try to kill yourself with it afterwards. You get what I'm saying?"

"You're an asshole. Trying to make me believe you could get me back my right to use magic. Real class, Malfoy. Now I might as well just jump. God! I'm a joke. This is a joke, right? All that nonsense you said to my niece about blood and your changed views. Fuck that. All you wanted to do all along is continue this long joke for your personal enjoyment. You've already done enough emotional damage to my self esteem in school, alright? Congratulations Malfoy, you win. You happy? You win."

He looked at her plain straight, his expression never changed from a smirk and his arms stayed folded across his chest. He was enjoying her little parade. "Are you done now, Granger?"

There was anger in her eyes, she looked livid.

"I can get you your magic back." He was now proving a point, "However it will take a few months and lot of string pulling and dirty work. Do you get what I'm saying?"

She was curling herself into a ball because it seemed to have grown colder, and she wasn't happy, "I get it but I don't believe it. What do you want from this, Malfoy? You aren't the type to just help someone for that long."

"I want you to help me gain favor in my family name."

"How the hell do I go about doing that?"

"Granger, I want you to…use your press influence to help shine better light on me and my parents."

She looked to be thinking, "How could I go about doing that?"

"You're going to marry me."

Her head snapped back up into the air and her eyes flashed to his and her reply was harsh, "I'm not marrying anyone."

When they both just stood there they were caught with both having angry and unsettled expressions. There breathing rapid.

He nodded and played low, "Well if that's your decision Granger, I guess you could live with your parents and start looking for a job with your fellow muggles. That bookstore did have many violations I could shut it down for. I'm sure you will have fun working as a teacher for muggle brats, or something. "

She couldn't believe this was happening. _Was this really fucking happening right now? Did Malfoy seriously just propose marriage in this spot? _

"You're fucking insane, Malfoy."

He turned towards her quickly; their faces were close once again, "If you want your magic and your life back as much as I know you do, you will listen to my deal, Granger."

His eyes were dead serious and she didn't know where else to look but into them, they burned something fierce. He was very passionate about this deal. She was stupid to have not had caught on until this moment, "Back away from me, Malfoy." She commanded.

He pulled her closer to him, he didn't take orders and he certainly wasn't going to let Granger walk away from this deal. He got what he wanted. Always. "I'm not asking you to give up your life Granger. I'm asking for you to marry me. One year. Then we divorce, you get a very nice settlement and by that time your magic will be restored to you."

"So I get some stupid amount of money-."

"No. Granger. You will get a very generous amount. And also your rights to magic. Your wand. Everything you've fought for." His hands held her face up so he could look into her eyes and read her emotions. She had the horrible habit of looking down.

Those words were like a knife cutting back the tension and the anger she felt towards him. She wanted it so badly. She wanted it more then she could stand. Everybody thought she was crazy anyway, so what would it matter if she had jumped into a marriage with Malfoy? Everyone would just think she had made a horrible decision. A stupid mistake. All young adults made those.

Her lips trembled as she was giving into his persuasion; she failed miserably at hiding her want and desire to cast a spell, "what makes you think you can get my magic back?" she whimpered as his fingers touched her lips and slipped from her face to her shoulders and away from her body.

"Love, you may have your power in the media but my family has power in higher places. It won't take me long to get you a trial date. I'm not going to lie and say it will be easy. Sure, there will be trials and brutal paperwork. Luckily for you Granger, you won't have to do a thing. See that's the beauty of being a Malfoy. We hire the best lawyers and the best assistants to go to those trials and handle the paperwork. You simply wait for your magic to be granted while on vacation on some beach somewhere. The ministry will crumble at the raise of my hand. They don't stand a chance of keeping magic from my wife."

The word 'wife' hit her hard. Her common sense was trying to get back into her brain, but the surge of electricity and loss of magic was forcing it away. Everything was jumbled and it just sounded so easy. She wanted him to stop talking and for her to walk away. Yet she didn't see happiness in living as a muggle. She saw no future for herself walking away to be with her parents.

He continued, almost as if he didn't know that his words were eating away at her. He did. He was too good at this game to not know, "I don't see why you are holding back on this. All you have to do is act. You will leave the hospital and stay with me at my home above the village. There we will discuss our engagement. Hell, we might even fit a small public affair where we accidentally run into the paparazzi while on a date. By then you shall have a nice ring. It will start the rumors. My parents will most likely throw an engagement ball for the two of us. There we will stand as a united front. You are well. I am well. No need for the media or press input in anyway. We will have a sit-down interview. You will clear the air." He smirked, "you with me so far?"

She wasn't going to reply to him. He was a pig from hell and he was evil and he knew she was interested. That this whole plan went against everything in her mind. He knew it was torturing her and he stood there enjoying every minute of it.

"Good. So then you and my mother will plan a wedding. I really don't care what you plan. Really, it's whatever the hell you want. We will legally marry. Our honeymoon will be your escape from the mess. A break before we return and start to cause trauma for the ministry. When we come back Granger, I will make it right. By the end of our year as man and wife, you will produce magic again and you will walk away with your honor in check and a lot of money. Then from there, I really don't care what you do but I'm sure it's better than working at a muggle food distribution facility. "

They were quiet. She could only bite her lip and turn away from him. Her head started to hurt and her whole body was shaking from the cold. "I hate you Draco Malfoy, I fucking hate you."

He snuck up behind her and watched her cry a bit. He went in for the kill, "I bet Weasley will be pretty pissed. You know, the whole fact you walked away from his stupidity with your head held high and a new husband. He has already talked to the press you know?"

"I know." she said angrily. She turned on him and her face was a mess now, "I get it Malfoy, stop torturing me. I get what you want. Don't bring something you know nothing about into this."

"What do you mean something I don't know about? The whole world knows about you and Weasel. He spilled everything about you-."

"They were lies!" she cried out, "All of it." She was so overworked and so upset she looked like she was ready to crumble as he had explained the ministry would be.

"Then why don't you say that in our interview? Who are they going to believe? Some asshole quidditch player who sleeps with a lot of women or a lady of high society who is marrying someone with a social standing? You have credibility, Granger. You saved millions of people. All he does is entertain them for a few hours. Plus…" he smirked, "He sucks at it."

"Hey, Malfoy. I worked in the lab every night to get that potion finished and I worked every day to pay for him to get on that team. Could you please pretend I didn't do all that for nothing?"

"You didn't do it for nothing. The potion is one of the greatest achievements to our medical history. I'm a healer, I know this. However you were dumb and naïve to believe anyone like Weasley would ever give you anything back. He got what he wanted from you."

"No. He didn't get everything he wanted from me." She wasn't really in the right mindset to be talking on Malfoy's level of evil, because her mind was showing her memories of her in school and how happy she had been when casting spells and reading books. It was that distraction that allowed her to slip the next sentence without consequences, "I wouldn't give him my virginity or that rare potion I got from Russia."

It took her a few seconds to come back to reality and his pleasant smirk to realize what she had let slip.

"Fuck." She covered her eyes and groaned into his coat. "Fuckity-fuck. You mind fucked me Malfoy!"

He went to open his mouth but he couldn't get himself to stop thinking about the fact that Granger was a virgin, "So…you wouldn't give him sex and he wouldn't marry you so he just walked away from you?"

"SHUTUP!" she had it. "JUST SHUT IT!" she took off his coat and threw it at him. Her hand went to her chest and she began to practice breathing in through her nose and mouth in a calming pattern.

He watched her. She looked incredibly awkward doing it, but he knew this was a way of her prolonging the fact that she was going to marry him and she didn't want to admit it.

A few minutes passed and he had watched her walk in the cold air in circles. She was cussing to herself and deliberating. He found this a great time to light another smoke and enjoy the show. It was even more hilarious when she had found a stick and began to hit a park bench with it over and over until the anger she felt had passed. He even let out a good chuckle. Merlin this girl was crazy, but she was great entertainment.

Striding in his own confident walk he made his way over to her. She had calmed down dramatically now. Her hair stuck out in millions of different ways, her arms dropped in-between her knees and she slouched.

He sat next to her on the bench, "So I'm thinking a new year's wedding. That way you can spend the holidays with your parents and have time to plan the wedding."

She was silent, but a few seconds later she looked at him, "Why couldn't you just let me kill myself?"

He was honest, "Because I really wanted to save you and I don't like it when the Weasley family succeeds in anything. Your death seemed like a stupid way of Weasel walking away." He looked out at the mountains then back at her, "plus, I've never lost a patient before. I wasn't going to let a brilliant mind die when she didn't have to. You weren't supposed to die then Granger. You still have a lot of time here. You are just stuck in a spot but I guarantee after this next year, you can do whatever you want. You won't be alone anymore. Hell. Maybe after next year we can walk away and be friends."

It was amazing how he could turn his affection on and off. Yet he had just been completely honest with her and she knew he hadn't been telling her a lie. "Just one year?"

She had agreed to it. There was no need to go through the whole agreement process. Her magic was important and if it meant marrying Malfoy, she was going to do it. Everyone was permitted to their stupid moment. This was hers.

"Just one year. If you convince the press and help me gain what mine…I promise you, just like that."

Hermione took one last huge big breath, she looked at him and then to her hands, "If I say yes will you allow me to get drunk and then take me back to the hospital?"

"Are you serious?" he couldn't believe that was her only question and also that he had got exactly what he wanted. She went from one senile to whole different calm.

"Malfoy, if we are going to be married for a whole year you really ought to start catching on to my honesty. I just agreed to marry someone I hate and lie to my own family and the press and everyone else. The least you could do is buy me a few drinks."

"Fine then Granger, but when we get back to the hospital you have to take a sleeping potion so I don't get my license terminated and if your mother comes by I'm telling her you got high off pain killers."

* * *

Author's note: Rinou, beautify92, Spunkywave77, LadyBookworm80, Team Dramione, Jo-Marie, 2angelwings, shimmerwing232, anonymousarfan, ivoryandrose-leaves, GreenEyedVixen, irridecent dreams, lalalaniebug, and Blood-In-The-Stars. Everytime a new review came up, I cried inside with joy. I wrote this for myself and to have support makes it worth it. Thank you.

Darkness Approaches: words cannot describe the love I feel for you. You are a friend. Really, you are.


	5. Tousle me softly

When the Granger's neighbors saw the ambulance leave their driveway they couldn't possibly believe something bad could happen to such a wonderful family. After all, for years the Grangers had resided in that large house. Each child had perfect grades, a volunteer job and the best squeaky clean smiles. They had been viewed as your stereotypical family. The only trouble anyone could remember was a small incident where one of the sons had broken his arm from falling out of a tree house.

In the façade of it all, they hadn't actually told the neighbors what Hermione had done. They didn't see the need to even discuss the issue between their own family members yet alone blab it out to the public. The rumor was that 'the peculiar youngest daughter' had been in the hot tub and she had hit her head. In another rumor she had fallen into the frozen pool. This was because of the neighbors who had a good view of them carrying her out wrapped in a towel.

All they knew was that she had come home yesterday from a long hospital stay. This was only released because of one of the Granger sons who had been visiting answering the door to a girl guide who had been selling cookies. The Grangers always bought double of everything. The little girl had got into conversation and the son had let it spill that he should stock up on the peanut butter chocolate because his sister was going to be back soon.

To say the mystery of Hermione granger's incident was large would be an understatement. It was all people could talk about. In the supermarket, in the church and even at the school plays and recitals. Even the vicar had asked for prayers and sparked interest. The word of her return spread like wildfire.

When Hermione returned to rest at her parent's house, it was home but still aerie. She had hoped to simply slip away and read a book somewhere but the suicide attempt had changed her family. She saw it as a disease. They no longer went an hour without someone checking on her, they hugged her a lot more and often her mother or family members would stop doing something and leave the room to cry. Emilie Granger was the worst culprit.

"Hermione dear, I think that's the doorbell. Would you mind? I have to pull these cookies out of the oven."

Her fingers slipped off the spoon that she used to stir her mug of hot chocolate. She moved her sweater tighter around her frame and walked to the door. When she opened she was greeted by another neighbor, "Hello." She suddenly felt like an overgrown child in her jeans, green sweater and stripped Christmas socks with bells on the ankle.

"Oh. Happy Christmas!" the redheaded neighbor said back, her twin girls in matching sweaters and wellies smiling up at her. "These are for you."

Managing a small smile, "Oh thank you." She wasn't the most sociable person. Her brothers usually did this. They had always been known as the heartthrobs in the town. They were charmers who knew everyone's name and there children's name and made sure to talk about some small fact they had remembered personally about that person. Hermione always felt like the ugly one. Even when she had tried to fit, she had been gone so long she didn't know anyone's names or their families. She never fit into this puzzle. "Happy Christmas to you too."

One of the twin girls looked to be very interested in Hermione's body. She was looking for cuts and bruises. Even bandages. Something that they could pass along on the playground when they returned to school after the holiday. She smiled a sly smile, "Did you get the get well pie we sent you?"

The truth was, Hermione's neighbors had brought so many dishes and desserts over that she wasn't sure whose was whose. Most of them were bought and they were only given to the Granger's in hope they would get information on their daughter or maybe they'd be invited in and told of her status. Hermione hated being stared at and pointed at and being a big attraction. In her own home there was already enough smothering and when she went somewhere they too would look and then quickly hide it. "Yes, thank you. I appreciate it very much."

The mother looked to be upset that her daughter had just spoken out of term. She smiled a fake smile, "I'm coming to your parents Christmas party tonight but I thought you would enjoy them now."

She wasn't upset about the fake smiles anymore. This was the seventh person to drop food off that she had encountered. Yet she hadn't heard about a Christmas party. That made her livid. She was still feeling sick and gross from her hospital stay, let alone the fact she had been bombarded by Malfoy all seven days. He spent each day making her life hell and she kept telling him she wasn't actually going to marry him. The hour before discharge he threatened to have her put down for mental instability. She caved and finally agreed. She still didn't know why she did that because all she did was agree by word of mouth, not by actual agreement. All that nonsense too made her feel like crap. It was too soon for a party. "Oh, goodie. See you tonight." She said a bit sarcastically but then caught herself, "you two look cute."

The twins smiled, "Thank you."

The mother looked like her face hurt from smiling too much and finally put an end to Hermione's awkward misery and said goodbye. Hermione watched them walk away and then slammed the door behind her.

"MUM!" she screeched in misery, her eyes closed as she turned a corner into the kitchen and pushed the cookies onto the counter full of piles of different foods. "Why didn't you tell me about this bloody party?"

Emilie had been frightened by her screech. As if something horrible had happened. It brought back the memory she had of her son Charlie running down the stairs screeching for her yelling something incoherent about his sister being dead and blood being everywhere. This had been happening a lot since her daughter returned. Yet what Hermione didn't know was that it was much worse when she had been in the hospital. The family had watched their mother have panic attacks. The weekend after their sister had been put in the coma; Mrs. Granger had walked into her daughter's bathroom and screeched. Saying she felt she was dead. That she wouldn't ever wake up.

The whole household had been under full emotional hardship. Yet they never talked about it, not once. Yet Hermione was sure her brothers and their wives had. Her sister-in-laws all asked a lot of questions.

The Granger monarch caught herself quickly and looked at her daughter, she was excellent at hiding emotions, "what's wrong?"

"We are having a party? Why wasn't I told?"

Her mother's hands went to her cheeks she looked into her daughter's eyes, "I didn't want you to go hiding in your room. You are a grown woman. I'd like you to talk to some of the young men tonight-."

Hermione cut her off, and out went her hands on her mother's own flour and sugar covered phalanges, "Mum. Nobody wants a piece of a suicidal freak show." She smiled with an evil grin, "They might like a freak though. I can reward their mother's cookie grams with sexual favors." She had loosened up a bit since her teen years but only because she made a great effort to piss her mother off.

"That's not funny Hermione. I don't like that and I don't find that funny. They don't know anything. Plus you are gorgeous. Look at you. You should be married." She moved her hands away from her daughter's face and slapped the back of her jeans pockets trying to find her daughter's small ass. "Now eat a few cookies, you look like a character from the Christmas carol. You could audition for tiny Tim or the ghost of Christmas present."

She stood there and had a sour expression. Christmas brought out the worst in Hermione. Even the child came out but not the excited child, the complaining child. She began to moan and whine, "I was wearing my dorky Christmas socks when I opened the door."

"Not my problem." Her mother sprinkled a cake with powdered sugar. "Now what do you think of the cake for the Robinson family?"

"Why are you baking so many things when we have piles of food we can just re-tag and give away? Nobody will even know." she looked down at her cold hot chocolate and frowned. Now that she didn't have magic she found herself too lazy to get up and have the urge to microwave it, "Shit. I hate this."

"Language Hermione Jane." Her mother wiped her hands on her apron that had a huge reindeer on it and then looked down at the cake, "We aren't re-gifting food. That's rude and not very holiday, now is it?"

Hermione gave a face that suggested she could care less; she looked down at her tourniquet and then rolled her sleeve back over it. She span a few times in the stool and stopped. Each time her knee hit the bar she would try to spin again and pick up her legs to miss it. She started thinking about her magic and what she had to do to get it back. She didn't know why she chose now, but she just did. Maybe it was because she was bored and she had the habit of picking inappropriate times to say things, "Mum, I think I'm engaged." Her eyes were dizzy and she saw double of everything. Her eyes settled on her mother's figure and the double vision slowly defused into one shadow of a person.

Emilie Granger put the eggs away in the large fridge and looked at her daughter; she stifled a laugh, "Hermione I often worry about you. Now stop joking around and help me frost these cakes." Her mother went back to stirring the bowl of heavy cream cheese frosting and red food dye.

"Mum." She cleared her throat, "I'm not joking."

Emilie looked up at her, still thinking she was pulling her leg; she looked angry, "Sure, love. We both know this is your way of hurting me. I get it. You think marriage and children and the whole mess is a joke. You think I'm a joke. Well you don't have your magic anymore, so maybe you should stop putting your nose in the air. You might just have to accept that you will be just like me. A mother. A wife." She walked over and grabbed Hermione's hand and opened it, she placed a butter knife in it, "Get up. Come with me."

Hermione looked at the butter knife. Then her mother. "Have I been punished for something?"

"You used to think frosting things was fun. Remember that one time you came to me soaking wet, you had been playing in the shower with your new doll and I let you try to feed your doll frosting?"

"That was because my brothers and sister were trying to flush me down the toilet and I just wanted to drown my sorrows in sugar." Her mother always never thought of the bad side of things, in fact she remembers when she was that age. Accidents happened a lot for her and her family made fun of her for it. She always felt like the mistake. They wanted to stop when they had a girl and they had Olivia, then Hermione came along four years later. On top of it all her mother had been obsessed with romance books. She named her last child and youngest daughter after one of the characters. While the other children had somewhat normal names, she was stuck with an odd one. Her mother sometimes made her feel like the extra; it was because of this that she was much warmer towards her father.

She also wasn't 'feeding' her doll the frosting. She remembered calling it Olivia and trying to close its mouth and nose with frosting so it couldn't breathe.

"Nonsense. Your siblings loved you and did no such thing." Her mother also only saw the good side of her children. The bad had been seen by the nannies and Mr. Granger. Her mother had become jealous of the nannies. Hermione never really could remember any of their names. They were in and out with her mother's menstrual cycle. When she got angry, she took it out on the help.

Hermione wondered how her mother had grown into this pattern. She told herself a long time ago she'd never be like her grandmother and mother. She liked seeing the ugly, bad and brutal. It was comforting in a sick way. Nobody was perfect and she was tired of acting that way. The comment ate away at her, she felt as if she was choking in that kitchen. He heat from the oven was suffocating, the smell of sugar and cinnamon was burning the inside of her nose and tears were forming in her eyes.

"Mum…I'm going to go outside in the back." She put the butter knife into a snowman cake a neighbor had made for them, right in the heart because that's where she was feeling the most pain. Sure, Malfoy wasn't really the love of her life but she had just tried to open herself to her mother and tell her something and her mother blew it off. Fuck her mother. Her mother had always been angry about her other life. She was getting her magic back.

"Alright, darling." She looked hurt and disappointed that Hermione didn't want to help. Not even thinking it was the comment she had just deliberately fired at her that caused her to walk away.

Quickly she slipped her boots on and pulled her hair up into a messy bun. Wrapping the green sweater closer to her she made her way out through the back door and onto the patio. When the door closed behind her she felt the urge to scream and cry. She bit her tongue until she had walked out near the Jacuzzi.

The pool area had been built when Hermione was three. It was added a few feet away from the house and right next to the garden and barbeque area. Their house was always the center of neighborhood celebrations. Her family wanted it that way. She felt safe to cry here. Her family had never really swam that much. They grew tired of it after a few years. However Hermione found it fun because she didn't have the luxury of a pool year round when she attended Hogwarts. She was able to be alone. When she needed air from her bedroom of solitude or when the home got packed, she'd find herself here. Usually with a book.

Quickly she tugged off her boots and socks. The bells chimed a bit as she threw them on one of the patio tables. Her feet were being nipped by the cold. She let them rest into the hot water. It was like melting a thin layer of ice off her feet.

Slowly she began to sob and she hated feeling sorry for herself. This wasn't who she was. She wasn't this pathetic person. She couldn't believe for a few moments back in the kitchen she had been excited about her marriage to Malfoy and getting her magic back just to shove it in her mother's face. Was that the only reason she wanted to marry Malfoy? Was that the only reason she wanted her magic back? No. It was just icing on the snowman cake.

In one quick moment she reacted with a spontaneous plop of her whole body into the hot spa. Her lose jeans had been baggy but now the fabric stuck to her body. She took off her sweater, untied her hair and laid there in her bra. She wiped the tears from her face with the warm water and green sweater. It felt good against her skin. She dunked the fabric back under and then up to her face. The hot water consumed her skin's pores and the tears were nonexistent. She smelt the boiling chlorine and pool water very clear now, it was rich and powerful. It smelt like laundry detergent and bleach.

"Is this a normal muggle thing? You know out in five below weather in a hot pool of water, half naked? I quite like it." He smirked, "Your mother gave me an invitation to the party."

She turned to look at him. She had been frightened by his abrupt coming and goings, yet she played it off in a cool manner. He stood handsomely in a very nice suit. His hair was done. He looked well rested. His leather gloves and whole ensemble had to have cost a fortune. She forgot she was only wearing jeans and a bra, "Go Emilie." She sarcastically looked up at him, her body still relaxing in the water. "You're a bit overdressed for a simple holiday party." He also looked better when he wasn't on emergency call. He wasn't rushed for time and he looked shaven and clean.

"And you're a bit underdressed. Not that I mind." He blinked and looked amused. "Yet, I'm not really happy about the fact you didn't think this plan through. What is going to happen when you exit the water? Are you going to freeze to death? All my hard work will be for nothing. Aren't your parents supposed to be watching you?"

"I'm not a pet, Malfoy. My parents don't have to watch me." She covered her naked chest with her arms and glared at him. She didn't want him to know she had been crying or the fact that just five minute ago she was agreeing in herself to marry him. Then he would know he had won and she hated the idea of him winning. She wasn't sure whether this marriage thing was actually going to happen. There was still a part of her that couldn't do it.

"Whatever, Granger." He rolled his eyes and took out his wand. He had seen every part of her when he was her healer. "Get up and I'll get you dry and we can talk more about how we are going to pull this night off."

She didn't want to listen but it was snowing and she really didn't think her plan through. Plus she could just see her mother's face if she walked into the house half naked and wet from the bitter cold. The smothering would be ten-fold. She stood and walked out. The cold hit her and slowly turned her to ice. Like liquid nitrogen. "Son of a-." She bit her lip and hugged herself.

He stood looking at how her clothes clung to her body. She looked like a model. Her hair a stringy curly mess, her jeans hanging low on her hips and her breasts barley being supported by her plain white lace bra. She was pure frozen sex. "Malfoy, fucking hurry up."

He cast a spell and watched as she dried off quickly. "You are going to change after your parent's party, correct?"

"Why?"

"My parents invited you to come have coffee at the manor. We have a lot to go over."

She smirked sarcastically and put her arms out as if she was a scarecrow showing off her barley there body and muggle garb, "What, this isn't coffee material?" she laughed, "And who said I was actually going to marry you?"

"Sure, Granger. At a truck stop in the southern parts of the states." He then looked her dead in the eyes, "What, you think I wasn't kidding when I said I'd make your life hell if you didn't agree?"

She moved her arms across her chest and put on a cutesy voice, "Honey, Be a gentleman and dry my green sweater for me." She picked it up and threw it at him.

"With pleasure." He said in a disgusted tone and then threw the warm and dry sweater back to his fiancé. He watched her put it on. His smirk was sharing a spot with his smile, "This whole being nice thing is rather sickening."

Nodding in agreement and looking for her boots. "My feet are frozen. Where the hell did I put those boots?"

"Oh. Yeah. Those boots by the pool? The ones you wore in the hospital?"

"Yeah."

"I destroyed them."

"Why?"

"Tell me you're going to marry me."

She began to dance and hop on one foot and then the other as it felt like her feet would fall off, "Stop it Malfoy, this isn't funny. You're making it worse with a spell right now. It's not humorous."

He looked expressionless. Unamused and unhurt by her pain, "I think you're crazy. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Now her feet couldn't move from the icy sidewalk, she felt as if frostbite was going to form. She couldn't run or anything, she felt like frozen needles were stabbing her feet and then lit on icy fire. "Malfoy! Stop it. It burns."

"Say you'll marry me. Agree to it."

It only got worse as she prolonged the seconds. Her brain was telling her she didn't need her feet or her magic. Yet if she had her wand he'd be on the ground crying. She felt like crying herself and screaming bloody murder. Finally she cried out, "Yes! I'll marry you. Malfoy, fucking please."

With those words he walked over and picked her up, she had a bit of tears in the corner of her eyes, "My feet feel horrible." She sniffled, "Are you happy you sadistic bastard? My feet probably have frost bite."

He held her in his arms and looked at her feet, "they'll be fine."

"No they won't. I'm probably paralyzed or something. I'll be your footless bride you pompous..." she bit her lip and began to try to rub her feet but she couldn't as he carried her over.

"Those were expensive boots, Malfoy. I got so many compliments from them."

"Stop lying to yourself, Granger. Nobody liked those boots."

"They were pretty."

"I'll buy you many many pretty pairs of shoes. Right now, you have to focus." When he put her down and she stood on the patio, she was wearing a pair of really nice heels. At first she didn't know how he had done it. She was expecting to feel the cold but instead she felt leather and cushion and she seemed much taller. They were rather beautiful shoes. Malfoy must have charmed them some way onto her numb feet when he carried her from the pool. He spoke, "That's an improvement from your regular wardrobe. "

"Focus on tonight." He spoke clearly, "We tell your mother quietly or you can."

She was surprised how quick he had snapped into talking about their plan. "Are we just telling my mother?"

"I already asked for your hand. Your father gladly agreed. All we have left to tell is your mother."

Her attention changed from the shoes to him very quickly. Her hand landed on his shoulder to support her because she had moved to fast and she wasn't used to wearing heels. "When did you speak to my father!" she exclaimed. Her eyebrows narrowed. "I mean, what did he say?"

"That you were a treasure and something about how he knew I would be good for you and that he and I should golf sometime." He quickly blew off her question, "He has a firm handshake by the way. You don't shake hands like him do you? I'm afraid you might have some freaky manly strength."

"How could you just do that? Why?"

"Well if you tried to back out there is no way you'd let your family down. I know this for certain." His hands relaxed into his pockets, "Also, it is the nice thing to do."

For a moment she stood there in front of her backdoor. She was thinking of the dreams she used to have when she was little. When she was young, she often remembered having dreams about being married to a wizard. He'd come in through the front door and talk to her father in his office and her father would call her down and there would be this big scene. Usually it came to her when she would write letters to her friends who were enjoying their summer in Diagon Alley and having ice cream at Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlor. She wasted away in a muggle suburb and shopping malls with her mother and Olivia. Her escape was books and thinking of new spells and new potions she couldn't wait to try on her return to school.

"Look Malfoy Can't we go inside and talk? It's freezing."

"Can we be alone inside your house?"

Thinking for a moment, the blood leaving her feet because the pretty shoes weren't exactly fun to wear. "Yeah, I'll sneak you into my room." After she said that she realized she was experiencing her teen stages years later. She was so mature for her age and she never dated boys in the summer. There were interests but she never really chased them .She preferred staying home. Now she was sneaking someone into her room for the first time and she didn't even know how to go about doing this sort of thing.

Taking off the brand new pair of black stilettos and quietly opening the door she looked to see the kitchen empty, she turned to Draco and whispered, "My mum isn't in the kitchen and the oven is on, which means she will return so be quiet and hurry up." Without warning she took his hand and pulled him into the warm large and welcoming kitchen. He had never actually seen food in a kitchen, or how it was made. The hardships of being a very wealthy spoiled, only child had its toll.

She never let go of his hand and moved him to a secondary pair of stairs down the hall that must have been used by the family only. He watched her feet hop on the stairs quickly; he followed her up until they reached the upstairs hallway. It had pictures filled of the family.

He stopped to look at a picture of Hermione in a dress. She looked elegant and he wasn't sure he had seen her that beautiful before. He hoped to be able to make her look like that all the time. His mother had plans to do so much with Granger.

Suddenly he felt a tug at his arm as she pulled him along quickly and away from the hallway, "This isn't a museum, Malfoy."

She led him down another turn of a hallway and then opened a door and led him into the room. Closing the door behind her she looked at him. He had already made a great effort to snoop around her room.

"Yeah…so this is it." She was nervous about this whole situation. Particularly him in her room. He took of his heavy coat and placed it on her bed. Then followed it up by taking his leather gloves and placing them across one of her pillows. As if he was marking a claim, he was enjoying this glimpse into her childhood and wasn't going to leave quickly.

She sat in a chair near a writing desk, "So talk, then?"

He glanced at the pictures of her in her debutante dress, the same picture he had seen in the hallway. Except in this one she looked miserable and she was surrounded by her sister, grandmother and father. Then there were pictures of family, pets and friends from Hogwarts. The pictures he was most interested in were the younger portraits. Hermione doing ballet, cooking, in her birthday best and in her school robes. Glimpses into every stage of her life.

He made himself comfortable on her canopy bed. He even laid back and put his arm over his eyes, "Yes, so we should start with what you are going to wear. You have anything that goes with those shoes I bought you?"

She got up and walked to her closet, she began to look through it. "I have few dresses, Malfoy…" she turned, "If it's just your parents why can't I be comfortable?"

When he sat up he was looking straight into the largest canine's eyes he had ever seen. Hermione's dog had made an appearance. He was a very large Saint Bernard who thought he was a smaller breed. He began to make his way over to Malfoy and tried to fit onto his lap.

When she turned to look, Malfoy was petting her dog as if he was a toy breed. She seemed to enjoy the view, then frightened because her dog didn't like many people, "Sorry. I forgot about Bones."

"That's alright. My family has many dogs." He blew her off, ''I guess whatever you want to wear will be fine." The dog jumped on the bed next to him. Which Draco thought was a bit too much for a dog to trust that he wouldn't be punished for something like that, "Have you ever heard of a dog trainer, Granger?"

She took out a white sweater and a pair of jeans. Ignoring his comment about the way she chose to raise her own dog. "Anything else we need to discuss?"

"Yes. You are too awkward. Try smiling. I don't know; relax your shoulders a bit. Your posture is horrible."

Hermione stood there with a frown on her face and her eyes were blank as she looked at him. "I'm not awkward."

He moved up from the bed and walked over to her. He was looking her up and down. This was causing her to over think everything, "Okay. Malfoy. Stop looking at me."

The blond listened but only for a second, he seemed to be focused on her body shape, "Have you lost more weight?"

She turned quickly to catch him in a weird position. One that suggested he had been looking at her ass this whole time, "Are you kidding me? I probably gained. Did you see all that food down in the kitchen?"

"Yes but do you actually eat it? I didn't let you leave the hospital if you were just going to come home and starve yourself."

Folding her arms, "What does it matter to you? I am eating. That's all you need to know."

"You know, for someone in child bearing age you really should put on a bit more weight."

The expression and color left her face and then was replaced by blushing, "w-what does it matter if I'm in child bearing age? You won't even get to see that part of the situation. That situation shouldn't even be in your mind. I don't even want to talk about this with you."

He smirked and found this enjoyable, "Calm down. I was just making a statement. You took it wrong."

"Think of other words to say, then. Alright? In fact, don't bring my weight up again."

Things and situations like these made him happy. He was making Granger step out of her comfort zone. He liked watching her face change when he said these things. He should have known she was a virgin back in the hospital when he brought up the need for her to follow up with other healers that specialized in different areas. Including the women's health healer.

Moving back onto her bed and kicking his feet up, he smirked across the room, "you know Granger, you don't have any old pictures of boyfriends…"

By now the blushing had died down, she was looking in the mirror at herself. Obviously over thinking her weight, "Do you have pictures of Parkinson in your room, Malfoy?"

"No. Hell no. Ugh, we weren't that into each other. I mean, she was…but I couldn't have spent more than ten minutes out of my day with her. She wasn't my type."

Hermione walked into her bathroom to change, but left the door cracked a bit so she could watch him. Not that he could see anything except the shadow underneath the door. She talked to him through it, "The way I saw it, boyfriends were pointless and a waste of time."

He looked around her room once again; the light purple walls had clippings of old daily prophets and souvenirs from quidditch games. A few Gryffindor related items. "Not a waste of time to me. I only wanted sex, really."

She opened the door in a shy way. When he saw her she looked somewhat elegant. The cream colored sweater was off the shoulder and her jeans that hugged the hips she had. Running a brush through her hair and passing a small smile, "How do I look?" she bit her lip and then moved her finger there to replace the nervous tick she was feeling. Nibbling on her nail.

He watched her react to it all. They had their work cut out for them but in the meantime, she looked amazing. He shrugged as if it was nothing, "You look fine."

Her feet made small noises against the hardwood floor and she walked back to her desk. "I hate Christmas parties."

Smirking as he looked at her figure, he was bored of this play date and decided to have some fun, "So you don't believe in love, Granger?"

She turned with simple and small pearl earrings in her hands. She stopped, "I didn't say that. I just think relationships when you are below the age of nineteen are pointless."

He nodded and watched her place them through her ears, then spoke his next words carefully. "You know, some scientific healers like yourself, have been doing research and they believe love is caused by chemicals you are born with."

"Dopamine and nor epinephrine." She spoke softly. She was reminded of the work she loved and the job she couldn't return too until her magic was granted. If it ever would be granted again. She cleared her throat, "Yeah. I was a supervisor on that project. I had to stop to work on the dragon pox formula. They continued without me."

"Did you know that people are attracted by scents and symmetrical features?" his silver eyes were glancing her over slowly. If he was doing this to get a joke, she didn't think it was very funny.

"I left the observation early, remember?" she spoke it a bit forced. She didn't want to talk about her career. "I didn't get that far into the project."

"They say that small things like, the curve of your hip bone or the softness of your skin…they all contribute to breeding."

She stopped brushing her hair, which as he continued to talk had become harsher with each stroke, "interesting." She replied with a dry tone. Moving her face away from him she looked down at her jewelry box to look for a necklace.

"You appear to be a very good breeder, Granger."

When she turned to look back, he was standing and he walked over to her quickly and placed his hands on her hips, "You know what else I forgot to bring up?" She didn't have time to react or step away or anything. He was obviously good at catching people off guard.

"What are you doing Malfoy?"

"You know, the awkwardness you have is only when you are around me. When you try to act like what I say doesn't bother you or when my actions don't make you uncomfortable. Does this make you frightened, Granger? To have a man touch you?"

Hermione's breathing became heavy, her eyes were glossy. Yes, she was very nervous. Her lips trembled a bit, and his hands were strong and equally delicate with her. "Stop it."

Instead he pulled her closer; her hips were being pushed against his own, "Relax Granger. I'm not going to molest you. I'm just proving a point here. We will be touching in our near future. You know, in public. At parties. We will dance, we will hug and every once in awhile to make this situation look real I will kiss you."

Her chest was moving up and down and she couldn't budge herself away, "I'm…you…" her eyes were threatening his the best way she could, "You won't kiss me. I won't let you."

"You have been at least kissed before? I mean, Weasel may have been a piece of filth but I'm sure you gathered enough courage to try to kiss him. I know his mouth must have been a life and death situation…"

"You didn't know him." She tried to push herself away from his embrace but it was no use, "I'm not comfortable with this Malfoy."

He leaned into her ear, "with what? Me holding you or the mention of Weasley?"

"both." She worded back, her head moving away from his lips. "I get your trying to prove a point. Well you have proved it. Now drop this and let go of me."

Instead he moved his mouth to her cheek. He left a small kiss and then backed away, but still held her close. He searched her frightened eyes to find them slowly winding down. She was shocked and frightened and rather unsure of his motives. Yet his kisses meant nothing. He played them out as if they were candy to children. There was no want towards her, except the fact that he liked to watch her squirm.

Another kiss was left closer to her mouth. Then another. Then once again a soft peck on the corner of her mouth.

Her eyes closed as she braced herself. There was no use trying to get him to stop. Her whole jaw locked. Her whole body was stiff as stone and she refused to look at him.

She felt his hand softly cup her face, her eyes opened and looked at his, and the manly voice was somewhat gentlemanly and it had a playful laugh to it, "Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you."

Taking in a view of his lips, there was a simple smirk and a bit of a smile. He leaned down and took in her own lips. Her reaction was to pull away but he held her closer. One hand on her lower back and the other slowly positioning her jaw line.

It was sticky and warm. They melted together. She seemed to have relaxed under his touch. He was searching and she was slow. His lips sucked over hers and nibbled on the pink skin and then left smaller kisses to make up for the pinch.

He had been greedy with her and only pulled apart to let her breathe. He didn't know why he enjoyed that or why he didn't want to stop kissing her. She found herself wanting to kiss him back but didn't know how or why she even cared that much.

"You are a bastard, Draco Malfoy." She lisped. Turning her head away from him and looking down at her feet, "You really are."

Instead of backing away and giving her space, he moved her face back up to look at him, "you are going to kiss me back, Hermione. It's the only way this will work."

Her eyes were pleading with his, "No, Malfoy. I get it. Leave me alone now." She was angry she even wanted to kiss him back in the first place, she was arguing with herself. This wasn't right, it shouldn't feel this right. She was most livid because for the first time she felt like she fit into someone's puzzle. Like she was the missing piece. They just came together so easily.

Yet, her words meant nothing because he didn't move. "What is this supposed to do Malfoy? Make you entertained?"

"No, keep you prepared."

Rolling her eyes and quickly leaning herself up, she left a small peck on his lips.

His smirk was large, "Nice kiss Granny, now try again." His hands rested at her hips again, holding her hostage. "Think of it as a movie. I'm just another actor."

She swallowed hard and then closed her eyes, her hands went to his face and she moved her lips to his. Slowly she did her best. She even let him push her up against a wall. It lasted longer than it had too.

Except this time when she let go, so did he.

Her fingers went to her lips and she looked down at her feet and then back at him, she cleared her throat, "Is that all, Malfoy?"

"Yeah, and Hermione…" his smile was hidden but smart and enjoying the un-awkward side of her that seemed to have come out rather quickly.

"Yeah?" she was so transfixed on what had just happened to notice his change of her name.

"Call me Draco. We shouldn't call each other by our last names."

"Sure. Whatever."

With no more words to spare she moved her arms round her body and walked over to her bathroom, shutting the door behind her. A few seconds later he heard her sobbing and then the shower came on. He knew she had done that so he wouldn't hear. He had no regrets and he was sure that Hermione felt guilty because, just possibly, neither did she.

* * *

A gawky looking man, in his early twenties stood by the fireplace. He was tall, thin and he wore glasses. His face was round and his jacket was a purple plaid. He sipped eggnog and shared glances across the room with Hermione. While hers were polite intentioned, his were grossing and seductive.

She managed a small smile, and turned around. With her back to him, she thought he would get the point. She allowed herself to glance around at the party. Everyone was here. Most people looked familiar but she couldn't place a name to them.

"Hello?"

Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath of annoyance, "Terrance?" she turned around to see his glasses too close to her face. This was the second time this evening a person had come too close, except this time the boy had no excuse. He wasn't Malfoy who didn't give her the option. She moved back a pace.

The boy smiled his toothy grin, "I heard you had returned. How are you feeling?"

She tried her best to be friendly but she really wasn't in the mood to be hit on by her father's college buddy's son. "Fine."

"I'm going to Harvard by the way and I came to visit my family for the holidays. I'm going to be a lawyer."

She nodded and looked down at her drink, right about now she was wishing her mother was an alcoholic who put liquor in drinks. "Would you excuse me, Terrance?"

"Oh sure. I'll find you later, then."

Before she could walk away though, Draco strolled up and put his arm around her in a sly move, "I'm sorry darling; I was talking to your father's business friend." Obviously he had viewed them from afar and didn't like her talking to another guy. Not that he really felt threatened. "I'm sorry, Draco Malfoy." He stuck his hand out for Terrance to shake.

Terrance looked at Hermione and then shook his hand, "I was just-."

"Leaving?" Malfoy finished the answer for him. His eyebrows were raised in defensive calm and the way he held onto the woman beside him was very possessive. The way he used to hold onto his broom after practices or a quidditch game.

"Yeah…" he nodded and backed away, ", I mean. I…happy Christmas." Terrance was obviously frightened of Draco. The flash he gave Hermione was enough to tell that. He walked away quickly to another room.

Draco pulled her past the guests and into the other sitting room. When she looked at him she couldn't believe he had been so upfront, "That was uncalled for." Yet she had been kind of thankful. With that she closed the door behind them.

"You are welcome. I mean unless you and him have a thing." He sipped he punch and shared a smirk.

"I hate you." She plopped her body on one of the cream colored sofas and moved her face into a throw pillow. When she came up she added, "I hate parties." Going down and moaning into the pillow and then coming back up, "I hate this house." Her mind was full of hate. The party was sickening. Too many questions. Too many people. Too much of everything, it was too much for one night.

He watched with amusement, and instead of questioning, he moved to look around at more pictures.

Hermione's family was the polar opposite of his own. There was camping trips, school plays, soccer games and science fairs. A new family portrait every year. Sickening perfect smiles on a Christmas card every holiday season. They were an ad out of a j Crew catalog.

However distasteful he thought it was to have one family held on such a high pedestal, he never really had room to say anything. For one, his family too was held on such a high standing and it crashed down a few steps. He secretly wondered if Hermione's suicide attempt had begun to be a symbol of a loose thread. That her wedding to him might be the thread that unravels the rest. Either way there was a mystery there. A long deep hallway of things he wanted to know about Hermione's past. The Grangers weren't perfect and he saw through the suburban dream façade.

When Hermione had calmed down she managed to find the courage to get up and move to Draco's side, "I think we should leave to your parent's house, now."

He however had let her statement roll off his shoulders. His eyes were settled on a row of pictures of his future wife. The first was of a small baby wrapped in a soft pink blanket. The next was of her in a soft fluffy white dress with a baby blue ribbon sash, she was sitting at a piano and her brown curls were almost golden. Her fingers sat in a stance elegantly and her bare feet were crossed. She couldn't have been more than three years old, "You were a rather beautiful child."

"Thanks?" she added dryly, "My mother forced me to play piano when I was younger and dance-."

"Ballet?" he smirked and looked over to his side at her, he pointed to another picture. "I see that."

In the picture she is about seven. Her hair is pulled tightly back into a bun with a ribbon holding it together. She is wearing some sweet and simple pink tulle and silk confection. She is peaking behind a long red curtain. Someone had captured a great moment before Hermione had made her debut onto the stage. "Do you still dance?"

"God, no." she shook her head, "Only for three years. I enjoyed it greatly. Yet, I found Hogwarts more appealing."

"That's a shame. Ballet is a brilliant art. I hated it growing up. Mother would force me to go to them. I always flirted with the younger dancers." He looked at her once over, "Would you like to try it again?"

Her facial expression was comical. She thought he was being daft, "I'm a bit old for that."

"No you're not. You should hire a tutor to work with you. Give you something to do while you're married to me for a year."

Her lips pursed and she seemed to be searching for the right words to say to him. Something bothered her about his comment, "So, what is it exactly I'd be doing?"

"Regular things. Where a wife should be. In her place."

"I have a place now?" she snapped a bit. Walking away from the wall and sitting on a chair.

His only thought was how it seemed she loved picking fights when they were onto decent civil conversations. She tested him. She pushed him. She would find any chance to anger him. Her conversations turned into arguments in the hospital and they were turning now as well.

"I didn't mean it like that. I'm just stating you will be my wife for a year. During that year you will act and perform the way wives are supposed to."

"How are wives supposed to act?" she felt he was being a bit sexist but she hadn't heard his explanation yet. "Do I have a job? What are these performances that call my attention?"

He sat across from her and gave her a plain look, "Wives are cared for. They don't have jobs because they don't have too. They never work. To have a wife that works is disgraceful. She should be treated with respect. Respectable wives don't work. They take in company, dance at parties, dine in nice restaurants, Shop for whatever their heart desires and-."

She cut in, "and I'm guessing hump their husbands into oblivion?"

He gave a seductive stare and began to fix his tie while never leaving her eyesight, "Yes. You only have to do a few of those things. Act like you are doing the rest. I mean, unless you'd like too."

"Wonderful. Sounds peachy." She gave him a disgusted and sarcastic frown, "So wives are supposed to be under you?"

"There's the attitude again, Granger." He gave her a playful smirk and sat up straight. His arms went to the arms rests and he looked at how she sat uncomfortably. "Now, I didn't say wives are under anyone. Yes. They do serve as a social derogative. They make their husbands look good."

"So wives who have jobs might have a chance to make more money or have a higher position and that looks bad?"

"Exactly. Yet, I'm not really interested in that nonsense. Really the only job a wife has is to bare children and do whatever her heart desires. Like I said though Granger, you only have to act like we will do those things."

The thought of children with him made her stomach hurl. Too think she would have to convince the world she was screwing him when she couldn't even convince herself to like him for the most part. He was tired of the subject of breeding, sex and children. He obviously talked about these subjects to bother her.

The room became warm fast; they both turned their attention to the fire. Her body gave off a simple vibe of thought. Her face was in her palm and she was over thinking. Never relaxing.

He was more relaxed and calm than she. He was thinking about how a child of his and Hermione's would look. Not that he wanted it. Children were far from his mind. Nor did he wish to still be married to her by the time it came to reproduce. Yet he knew their child wouldn't be a picnic. With her attitude and his temper. It would be a monster.

"If I was your actual wife Malfoy, I'd put poison in your morning pumpkin juice." She smiled in a touché way.

He smirked, "If I was your actual husband Granger, I'd drink it willingly."

They were interrupted by the sound of the door opening into the sitting room. The adults stopped talking and looked towards the direction of the sound. A small girl bounced in, her hair nicely done and wearing a red dress, "Hi Draco." Ruby giggled and looked at her aunt, "Grandpa is making a toast. He wants everyone in there."

Hermione nodded, "Alright then." She managed a smile that looked real, "we will be there in a second."

Ruby gave a questioning stare but smiled back. She knew when grownups wanted her out of the room. She looked at Draco one last time and then her aunt. Leaving the room with her famous Cheshire cat smile.

"I don't like the way she looked at us." Draco let slip as the noise from the party became louder and glasses clang.

She gave him a face that suggested it was nothing, "She just looks like that. Leave her alone."

"I wasn't picking on her. It's just rather mischievous. Like she knows something. If she were my child…" there he went again on thinking of children. He closed his mouth and straightened his suit.

Hermione's eyebrow raised, the corner of her lip raised with a smile, "Exactly then. Leave it be Malfoy."

They both began to make their way to the party. A few seconds passed of their arms rushing against each other to realize they were walking together without even a thought. Hermione found this annoying and stepped forward and walked a bit faster.

Draco wasn't stupid and he found her to be a bit precocious to walk ahead of him. His hand reached out and placed itself in hers. Her movements stopped completely and her hand died in his. He didn't have to look at her face to tell she was shocked, he just shared a smile. "Darling, what is your hurry?"

Other party goers looked to be enjoying the food and drinks. Sharing stories, Christmas wishes and songs they didn't know the lyrics too.

It was then that Hermione realized she was supposed to be acting. This was curtain call. Her first try at a role she would have to play for the next year if she truly agreed. Her nerves were on end but she closed her eyes and thought carefully. Her eyes opened slowly and her breathing became calmer, she allowed her grip on Draco's hand to melt. Her body leaned into his and her head rested on his shoulder. "No hurry."

He liked the way she quickly grew into her place. How she simply moved and invaded his space without her awkward moment to think on it. The kiss must have done something. Her awkwardness seemed to be forgotten. Maybe she had a hidden talent of acting.

He escorted her over to the side of the large room. To spark his own interest and give his bride a test, he sat on the chair and pulled her onto his lap. He wanted to watch her awkwardness creep back. If she was going to push his limits, he was going to do the same to her.

Without little force he was able to sway her body to rest itself against him. His arm wrapped around her lower back and his hand rested on her thigh. He felt the tension in her body, how she trembled a bit about being this close to him. He knew when a girl was uncomfortable. He should count himself as an expert. He knew the small things about how women reacted to touch from years of bedding them. There were easy sorts who became comfortable and the nerves in their back would rest after a good sip of liquor and a nice back rub. There were the brainy types who would relax after a small conversation and a simple dinner. How their arms would fall loose and their lips would gain a smile.

Except unlike all the girls he had before, this situation was different. He knew he was going to be able to get Granger to Relax because he was good at it. However, the girls before her were almost the same. No matter what they told him _'I don't sleep with men on the first date.' 'I'm not one of those trashy girls who sleep around.' 'I'm a lady who respects herself.' _They all ended up on top or underneath him by the end of the night. They all slept with him and hoped that dating would lead to a serious relationship or marriage. Yet they never got a call back or heard from him again.

The whole situation with Hermione was very different. She wasn't looking for love or a good date or even a good lay. She was getting marriage even if she didn't want it. He couldn't understand how she didn't want to be married to him. He had money, he was good looking and even though they wouldn't be intimate he had quite the reputation. His head was full of ways he could contain her, hold her, and have fun doing it. For the moment she was his doll, his play thing and it only would take a few strings before she would be molding clay in his hands.

While he was off thinking about how his hands could mold her, she was thinking about how close his hands were to being cut off. She didn't want to sit on his lap; she didn't want his breath to cause a warm feeling on the back of her neck or his hand to be that close to an area no man had touched.

Her fingers tweaked nervously and her father's words as he spoke to the crowd were rumbling and blurry. She found comfort in the fact that the crowd of ninety people was busy listening to him and not looking at them. She let her hand slip down to her thigh where his hand rested; she moved her hand into his hand and pulled it away. Instead of moving his hand back, he gripped her hand tightly and kissed it.

Draco caught her with a simple look. They starred at each other for a few seconds. His look was one of pure enjoyment that he had gone too far with her and there was nothing she could do about it. Hers was a mix of anger and pleading. She wasn't a whore and he wasn't going to push her that easily.

"And Finally. I almost forgot to mention the joys of the season. It isn't the gifts or the cookies or the snow that has taken residence on our front lawns…its family, friends and love. Life's simplest pleasures…"

The words of her father's speech seemed to be winding down to a closure. Just now they both checked into it. The beginning had been lost on each other's body language.

"With that I must share the newest happiness and joy. First off, my new grandchild. You all know my son Henry and his wife, my beautiful daughter-in-law Beatrice."

With that announcement, many smiled and looked over to a rather blushing Beatrice who was holding a new born girl in her arms. Hermione's happy brother standing beside her.

"Welcome to the world my charming Jennifer."

With that there were many glasses clanging and giggles and spread of cheer.

"Then there is the final announcement. I have gone through many years and raised many children. Happily each one has gone on to do great things and be great people. I don't know how, because it definitely wasn't from their father. They have even gone on to find partners, great people to love who I take in as my own children…"

As the guests looked to find his daughters in law and son in law Hermione's stomach turned. She watched her brothers smile and look to their wives and her sister look to her husband. In it all she lost her sense of calm. She hoped it ended here with a merry Christmas. She didn't like where this was going. She looked at Draco and even Draco knew shit was about to get real.

"Today I was let in on a little secret. You see my youngest daughter has always been special to me. You see sometimes I think happiness leaves us. It falters and yet I think happiness has found her. I believe she has found what everyone looks for in their live."

Besides the fact his speeches were always cheesy, Hermione never really listened to them. Now she was his ending. His grand finale. She was competing with material such as his 1992 ending about how he was able to gain millions of dollars in one stock exchange. Her fake marriage would be the talk of the night and she wondered what would happen when it all ended in a year. She awaited her fate. For him to finish his long charade.

"Now I don't know if he has already popped the question, but I've been too excited all night to hold it in."

The moment the word 'popped' came to his mouth. All eyes were on them. Draco felt the tension raise inside of her again by the way her muscles and bones and skin felt against his own. The stage fright and trembles were rising within her. His breathing was slow but his movements were calm in hope to get her to keep her cool. He was trying to help her stay alright, to keep the show moving.

The guests all were nearly jumping out of their bones and their eyes watched with fire and intensity.

Draco smiled and played along looking at Hermione, "I was going to ask you…"

She was caught up in the moment. She had this big emotion caught inside her she wanted to get out. Yet it was an emotion she couldn't voice. It was a mix of angry, sadness and nerves.

To everybody else it looked like she was frightened, but then again what girl wouldn't be when she was about to be proposed too.

Draco played nice so well. He had the ability to change from being a complete jerk to someone she never understood could exist inside of him. When she rose from his lap and he got on one knee. He was facing her and nobody else could see his face. Only her. She wanted to kick him. This wasn't part of the plan. Not that her father's speech was part of any plan either.

Yet, she blamed the stupid man in front of her. If he hadn't asked for her hand she wouldn't be in this situation and they could have pulled this off quietly. For a second, she realized this was what Draco wanted. He wanted her to be in a situation where she couldn't say no. Using her family was cold, but he wanted this and he got exactly what he wanted by any means necessary.

Her attention was on his lips, as he silently worded something to her. She could only make out a few syllables that she took as 'stay calm. Play along.'

His voice rose again so the others could hear, "Hermione, I knew you in school and we didn't always get along. When I saw you recently and we started talking more, I was absolutely sure you were the person I couldn't live without."

His words were so soft and fluffy she wanted to vomit. His smirk was what put her over. She glanced at everyone around them. The women were glowing and the men just smiled and were there. Her mother looked shocked, with her hand on her chest. When she looked back down at him, she tried to think of classic movies. What were the girl's responses to proposals? Those girls at the mall with their boyfriends, how did they act around them? She couldn't remember. Her head was too cloudy. "Are you asking me to marry you?" she finally let it slip. After she said it she thought she sounded stupid. She could have thought of something better.

He smiled and tried to not laugh. This was something he and his friends did to piss off teachers in school. They would act a big scene out with Grabbe dying and them taking him to the hospital wing to get help, so that they could miss a simple test or exam. He was rather good at lying so acting came naturally. "Yes, because nothing would give me more happiness then to spend every holiday season with you for the rest of my life."

That was when she lost it. She started laughing and stopping quickly. Then she covered her mouth and then snickered as her eyes searched the crowd. Suddenly the snickering turned into hard laughter. While she did it because this situation was hilarious to her, others took it as maybe she was truly happy.

Draco rolled his eyes and was getting more frustrated with her laughing. It was his best acting and she laughed at it. His pride was a bit sloshed and his ego took a beating. Yet Granger was so close to ruining everything he took control of the situation, his eyes were a dangerous storm when hers were glossy and disillusioned "Is that a yes?"

It all hit her that she had to stop laughing at some point and agree. All she could do was nod and cover her mouth to try to hold in the laughter, "yes."

With that he rose to his feet, and once again caught her off guard with a kiss. It shut her up quick. While others were cheering and clapping Hermione found it hard to push away.

She allowed herself to relax in him. His arms wrapped around her and unlike the kiss in her bedroom, this one was more delicate. He wasn't forcing anything on her and she half expected it to end. His touch on her skin was still strong yet he didn't hurt her. Also she allowed his tongue to explore and even though she knew what was happening she had never had a French kiss to actually compare it too.

When they separated it seemed as if the room had disappeared. Her father's speech had continued and he was ending it talking about the happiness he felt and he even passed a joke about how happy he was to marry off his last child.

Yet Hermione and Draco missed these words. His grasp was loose but he held onto her waist and she had her head down looking at the floor for a few seconds. _What the hell had just happened?_

"May we all have a merry Christmas." Her father said with his large grin and a drink in his hand.

The glasses were clanging and the cheers were loud. Kids ran around the house chasing other children. Teenagers were bored out of their mind sharing music and lounging on the stairs eating snacks. Parents began to talk once again and shared laughter. Some called from the other side of the room their wishes and congratulations. Yet Draco and Hermione were still looking at each other.

Things had gone back to normal and the party was alive once again. Her attention was on his eyes, she questioned him silently. He had raped her mouth, touched her thigh and molested her personal space all in one night. She was angry and a lit fuse, yet she couldn't get herself to stop thinking about the kiss or more importantly how she was going to go on from here. The cheesiest thing had just happened and she had seen proposals before, but now it was her own proposal and it was false and not even from the man she wanted. She was sick thinking about it.

Draco moved her closer to him; he wore a smirk that was full of pride and satisfaction. He moved her past the nosy guests and into the kitchen. He nodded and smiled as people gloated in their direction.

When the kitchen door closed behind them. He looked to see Hermione at the counter and picking at the food. She had no words or emotions that she wanted to share. She felt like her mother, holding them in as she killed a sugar cookie with her fingers.

"What was the laughing about?" he looked tense, "You ruined a magnificent proposal. I was about to go on about your hair and how you were in bed…"

She looked up, but not at him. Then continued to break the cookie into crumbs, in-between her fingers.

The silence was driving him into oblivion. She always fought back. The Hermione Granger he knew argued and yelled. She was driving him insane with this pity and moaning shit. His hand grasped her arm and the other moved to her other arm to force her to look at him, "Why can't you say what is in your head?"

She looked on the verge of tears, her lips trembled and her body was shaking slowly. She bit her lip and then licked them. Her crumb and sugar covered hands went on his to try to move him. It failed. She looked at him, in his eyes. His storm was raging. She realized there was never a clear sky with him. Her voice was low as she closed her eyes, "Why can't you stop speaking what is in yours?"

His hands dropped and he turned towards the other side of the kitchen, and as if he was pacing he turned to face her, "You and your family can't even discuss your illness. Things have to be said, Granger. Words can't be just left in the air. Do you get what I'm saying?"

She moved her head violently, and then frowned, "I'm not like my family Malfoy and I'm not like you. This is not the place or time to discuss this."

She had a point. He admitted that to himself yet he had to get this off his chest. He couldn't just hold things in like she could. It was madness.

He heard laughter and footsteps of someone coming into the kitchen and pulled her into his arms. She struggled a lot to push him away but he held her there, his mouth went to her ear, his whisper was forceful, "If you have a problem, voice it. We are a team now. If you want this year to be easy then you have to tell me what is wrong so I can fix it." He leaned his head against hers. "You have to let me help you."

Emilie Granger glanced in and then saw them. Her face went from a smile too one someone gave you when they thought they were intruding. "There the two love birds are." She seemed to be trying to sound pleased. She failed miserably.

Draco released her slowly. Hermione stepped away from him and was silent once again. She walked over to her plastic plate and cleaned up the mess she had started, "Sorry, mum. Things got rather warm and crowded in there."

Draco watched as she fidgeted with her fingers. Her awkward and nervous self came back. Obviously what he had just told her and everything that happened was catching up to her and she wasn't sure how to act. Either that or something about being in her mother's presence caused a riot inside her mind.

Emilie looked to be searching for the right words. She looked almost upset and hurt, yet as if she was trying to keep herself together. "Hermione…could we talk alone?"

Was this the dark side of Emilie? The edge before the jump. He knew everybody had one and Granger's mother was no different.

He watched his fiancé throw away the pile of crumbs and sugar into the trash. Her head nodded and she gave Draco a glance that looked like she was warning him.

Her mother seemed to be impatient, yet she managed to look at the man who had saved her daughter's life and was going to be her son, "We will only take a moment, dear."

What was he supposed to do? Tell her to back away from her own child? Take Hermione away quickly? "Alright, then." He gave a smile he would give his own mother and picked at the food.

Emilie took her daughter's hand and moved her down the same hall Draco had been taken down quickly. It leads to a large cupboard where the family kept large portions of canned food. Then to the right it led to the private staircase.

The grip was tight and it reminded Hermione of the times when she was little and was being punished in a store. They stopped at the end of the hallway and climbed a few steps.

"Are you pregnant?" the older woman folded her arms and locked her jaw, "Are you having his child?"

Hermione looked up quickly and was shocked, "What? No."

"You can't fool me. That proposal was fake. It wasn't real…" her mother's barriers were gone. She was a trembling mess.

She couldn't believe her mother had caught them. She tried to think of an excuse. Draco wasn't going to be happy. Then for a good second she felt relieved.

"He proposed to you before tonight. He just asked your father because he is a good man. I respect that. Yet, I wish you would have told me. You two were on the verge of laughing. I'm glad you pulled off the charade, alirght? I know you did that because it means a lot to your father and you didn't want the neighbors down my throat." her mother's eyes were filled with tears, "Why didn't you tell me you were even dating? You don't talk to me anymore."

Yet, her mother was naïve and a lot like a teenage girl. She wouldn't understand the complexity of what her daughter was really in. She didn't know about her daughter's history or Draco Malfoy's so why would she even begin to think anything beside her accusations? The pain in her stomach came back; the fear was heavy on her breathing. No, they hadn't been caught.

"I tried." Hermione fought back. She hated when her mother played the guilt trip. "In the kitchen. You ignored me."

Emilie looked as If someone had torn out her heart, "You have to understand Mione. You have always been different. I could never understand you. You never gave me the chance. I'm trying to understand you. Why won't you let me in?"

"I am-."

Her mother shook her head and took her daughter's hand, her eyes were filled with sorrow but a glint of happiness resided, "Why the rush into marriage? Are you really that desperate to get out?"

In her mind she was searching for an explanation. Her acting skills were dusty. She hadn't had the need to cover up a lie since Hogwarts when she was getting Harry and Ron out of trouble. She lied and it hurt to say the words that spilled, "I love him." _She loved her magic._

The grip around her wrist lightened and Emilie wiped her eyes with her stupid Christmas sweater. "Does he love you?"

She thought for a second and began to fight back every thought that told her to tell the truth, "Yeah mum. I think we are made for each other."

She bit back a harsh breath, "Don't be sarcastic about it." She managed a smile that only her mother could pull off, "Well I guess if you are marrying him you are smart enough to have your reasons. Hell if a guy tells you he loves you after just two months…then you should. It took your father three years to propose to me. Plus, he is a good guy. I know he will take care of you."

"I've never needed anyone to take care of me. We've known each other longer than two months."

"I know, everyone says that. Then you find the person that breaks that. You find someone you can lean on. That person you trust your life with and can see having kids with. If you've found him, then I'm happy for you. Plus…" her mother looked happy once again like she knew everything would be okay, she added a laugh, "You are marrying a doctor. I truly think he is a good man. He really cares for you. No matter if you tell me you never needed anyone, you seem to need him as much as he needs you. You are taken care of. The way you two have a connection is something I can't explain. Maybe he was exactly what you needed."

* * *

The late night weather outside was a calm harsh. Like domestic disputes, it was snowing but the wind hurt when it rushed passed your cheeks. Sometimes things as beautiful as love could be disgusting and brutal at the same time. That was winter.

"You want my coat? My gloves?" Draco asked as he followed behind her a smirk set, he rubbed his hands together and breath made steam.

"I don't want your fucking coat. For the twelfth time tonight. Just leave me alone."

She had been fuming as they walked the long neighborhood road. He had been meaning to tell her there was an ice-cream shop nearby where they could floo back to his parent's manor. Yet he didn't know if he wanted to distract her at this point.

She wrapped her arms around her body and wobbled in the black heels. He seemed to be enjoying watching her walk step by step and try to keep her balance.

For a second after he had spoken to her, she went off on a storm. Walking more proudly ahead but then catching herself on somebody's black Iron Gate fence. The skin on the palm of her hand burnt as ice frozen against the hard sharp surface came into contact with her hand. She couldn't keep her balance and landed onto the icy sidewalk and hit a pile of snow.

This time it was Draco who laughed. He couldn't contain it well enough. He took off his coat and opened it up as if he was offering it to her. Looking down at the pitiful looking young woman on the pavement, his smile was wide, "Is your ass frozen yet? Maybe the sidewalk knocked the broom out that was lodged up there."

Her eyes drifted from her hands where she was observing the red irritated skin, to his smirk. Her facial expression was not one to be desired. "This is your entire fault you know."

Rolling his eyes and bending down to help, he ignored her comment, "Come on Hermione. If we walk a bit further we can head to this ice cream shop that has a floo service. I'll treat you to some hot chocolate."

She slapped his hand away, and he fought back trying to help her up, yet she fought to keep him away from her. There was a struggle between the two. Finally Draco managed to get her to stop fighting and pulled her too her feet, "Merlin woman. I was just trying to help."

She pulled her arm away and straightened herself out, "you've done enough helping."

Smirk set and eyes glowing because obviously he was entertained by her. He didn't take her anger seriously, "So you are not going to talk at all about what happened back there?"

For a few small seconds they both looked set in their ways. Her eyes tested his but the silver pools were alive and blocking her any insight to how his mind was working. She shook her head, "What is there to talk about? We are going to get married. You proposed. Now I'm on my way to hell. Shall we?"

When she took a step forward, he pulled her back. "Let go of me."

"No. Let's talk about a few things." He released her and folded his arms, "I'm not going to get your magic back if you whine and complain. This isn't easy for me either so deal with it or suck it up. You want your magic back then you need to act like you weren't dragged into this. I heard your mother and she was close to finding out."

Hermione turned, her eyes looked low, as if she was tired and worn, "You heard us?"

"I'm not a patient man or an unintelligent one." He moved his hand to the small of her back and walked with her slowly. He was keeping her steady. She hadn't even realized that he had given her his coat. Either already a habit or she was just really cold. "By holding in everything you cause yourself to have an unsteady air about you. It causes uncomfortable situations and makes you look impeccably stupid."

"I'm not my mother, Malfoy."

"Draco." He corrected, "And if you're not your mother. Prove it. Don't hold your feelings in. The next year you will have to be part of my family. My family isn't like yours, we don't hold things in. If we have a problem we are honest. If we don't like something we come right out and say it. From now on Hermione, You and I work together." He thought before he said the next words, but decided to tell her because it needed to be said, "I don't know what went on between you and Weasley and Potter but for right now the best thing you can do is to move on and wait for them to make their next move. Right now you need to be a Malfoy. Do you get it?"

Silence consumed her and she looked at her hands. How they had red patches and her skin was rough from the fall. They looked as if they had gone through a cheese grater. She didn't have an answer for him but she took it with a grain of salt.

They began to walk quietly towards the little town, where shops were still lit and Christmas carolers stood on the corner and rang bells. Neither said a word but 'carol of the bells' rang in the winter air like angels calling out their better judgment. Christmas would never be the same to her.

"Hermione, my parents and I think we should have a new year's wedding."

Hands dropped to her sides, "Wow. That's…three weeks away."

"Your point is?" he continued to walk ahead.

This time Hermione reached out for his arm and held onto it, her face was red from the cold and her eyes looked to the ground, "I don't rush into things. My friends will know it as fake, Malf-. Draco."

He hated when she looked at the ground. "Look up, Hermione. Look up when someone is speaking to you."

She listened, her eyes once again off in prosperous thinking. The brown pools of chocolate were searching for an answer or maybe a question. Maybe she was off thinking about some random book. He knew she would have to stop leaving his side mentally. It was as if she blacked out.

"Hermione." He spoke as he watched her eyes dilate and come to his attention. "It does not matter what they believe. As far as the press will be concerned, when you take that interview…you are a new person. Isn't that what we all want from this? To start over fresh. We can be new people."

Her head was off thinking about her friends. Ginny was probably making a home with Harry and cozy in their own little world. She thought about Harry, and how he had promised nothing could come between their friendships. Yet, she wondered if the incident between Ron did. She wondered if she had made Harry uncomfortable in his marriage. To chose between a brother and best friend and a person he loved like a sister. They all knew her like the back of their hands, until recently. It went terribly sour and cross with them. A few months had passed. She knew firsthand how much a person could change in a few months. Maybe she could have been that person.

They reached a street corner ice cream Shoppe. It was an old fashioned fantasy, with warm inviting scenes out of a Thomas Kinkade painting. Families were inside sharing hot chocolate and hot brownie sundaes, couples were enjoying their treats together and children were admiring the cold weather and their food from tables.

"I had no idea there was a place a few blocks away from my home with floo access." She couldn't remember ever even visiting this little town center. Maybe it was because she never really explored it. Except the bookstore seemed familiar, yet every bookstore seemed familiar to her.

"Well, you do now. Come on. It's freezing and my parents aren't the people you wish to be patient with." He opened the door and the noise from inside consumed them, so did the warmth.

"I can imagine. They did raise you." With that she stepped into the parlor and looked at the long row of ice-cream choices behind the counter. The workers looked like underage teenage muggleborns who were forced to dress up in candy-striped vests and dresses and act happy.

Some of the workers seemed to recognize the two, but because of the muggles in accompany and the wish to keep their job, they kept their mouth shut. One went from whispering into another workers ear and then smiled in Draco's general direction, "Happy holidays. Welcome to Bingham's ice-cream parlor. What can I get you?"

"I'll have a hot chocolate, and she can have whatever she wants." Draco looked towards Hermione who was already amazed by the different flavors. There were the normal chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Then there was some with curry, chicken and beef. You could have ice-cream as a meal. Some of the wackiest flavors and some mundane, like ice-cream with muggle cereal in it or triple fudge brownie.

Hermione wasn't stupid. She knew the fact they had been spotted in an ice-cream Shoppe would help later. Malfoy didn't bring her here just to use the floo service and grab some sweets. "I can pay for my own."

He blew her off, "I'll pay, Hermione. This isn't my first date, love." He was being mean in a joking way, but he liked to watch her argue with him over the smallest things. He also liked seeing the small simple way her expression would change after he played nice to her.

"Honey." She added with the same bite, "It doesn't bother me to pay."

The girl working had to be sixteen, she had many piercings, but her bracelets all in hufflepuff colors gave away her house. Her eyes watched with intent. She had been reading witch weekly and the daily prophet and hearing rumors. She knew who these people were. She just didn't expect them to be together or in any case…dating. Too think she almost quit the crappy job to piss off her mother, she could have missed this night. "What can I get you?" she directed toward Hermione over the counter.

Hermione looked up and smiled; "I think I'm going to have …" then she saw the colors on her wrist "Are you a hufflepuff?"

Suddenly the worker looked honored to have Hermione and Draco talking to her. She even gasped and giggled as she leaned on the counter. "Yes. I am."

Draco didn't think it was in Hermione's best interest to get involved. Nor to talk to people who serve. Yet, he didn't want to look like the bad side of this equation. He had to make Hermione's job easier. That meant to be nice, which he wasn't good at. "When do you graduate?" he added.

Hermione was surprised to hear him step into the conversation. She kept looking at the flavors.

"This next year will be my last. I'm in the middle of holiday right now." She smiled beamingly. It was no question that Draco Malfoy was charming. Witch Weekly posted his pictures in their pages constantly. He was a very sought after man.

"I'll have a scoop of vanilla bean." Hermione broke the workers attention off Draco. Not that she really cared. She wasn't jealous; she just thought the girl had a disgusting choice in men. Then she remembered she was supposed to be engaged to this man. She was contradicting herself.

"You want ice cream in this weather?" he passed a smile towards her and then shook his head in a playful way she remembered boy's at the mall did with their girlfriends, "Make another hot chocolate for her as well."

The workers all looked a bit stunned but still dropped their posts to contribute the order.

Hermione grabbed the cup of ice-cream and took a bite. It was cold, but because it was warm inside of the establishment, it didn't bother her to enjoy it. It was as if the snow outside didn't exist.

Draco payed and watched Hermione look a bit uncomfortable. He wasn't expecting her to play along this easy or hop along this soon. So it surprised him when she kissed his cheek and said, "Thank you, darling." With that she smiled at the worker, "good luck in school, keep working at your best and happy holidays." She turned and walked towards a booth. Taking her place in the seat where her back would be towards the counter. They didn't see her disgusted face when she turned around or her sour expression as she shoved a large bite of the frozen sweet into her mouth.

Draco walked to the same booth and sat across from her. He watched her sour expression change into a sly smile, "Happy now? Was that wifely enough?" she giggled in an annoying gesture as if she as one of his ex brainless girlfriends and shook her head as she looked out at the carolers across the street.

"It's an improvement." He added and took a drink of the hot chocolate. "You talk too freely with people. That needs to stop."

Her head went back into the high booth. Her eyes were wide and she looked too tired to have this conversation, "Oh my god. You want me to not be awkward but then you get onto me when I talk to people freely. Make up your fucking mind." She said it forcefully but equally low. Her eyes closed for a few seconds, and her head leaned against the cold window. Her hands went to her face.

"Are you tired?" he asked with concern. He actually seemed to mean it when he was concerned or curious. Sometimes she didn't know if he was acting or generally worried for her.

She nodded. Then looked at him. Her expression was bemused like he was her problem. He was the reason she was tired. "You can imagine, I've had a very long day."

"Are you still having trouble sleeping?"

He couldn't help but realize how beautiful she was when she didn't over think everything. When she was too tired to do so. This was herself when she was her proudest. He noticed how comfortable she had become. That was a good thing. It meant he wouldn't have to do much to make this charade look real. When he looked over at the employees, they seemed to have believed it.

"Yeah." She lisped, "I haven't slept well at all." She shrugged," What else is new?"

"We will have to work on that."

She let his comments slide now. He seemed to be growing on her. She wondered if that was a bad thing.

She was tired of him asking about her health and weight, and most importantly what he had told her was weighing her down. She had no emotional energy left, so she decided to get it out. "I'm trying…"

She caught herself but then looked to be mistaken. She moved the cup of ice-cream away from her. She took a few moments, "what do you mean I speak to openly to people?"

"You are very open with people who don't know you and don't know your problems, yet you're silent with those who do know. You refuse to grip reality. It should be the other way around."

She took offense to his comment. Her face was trying to remain composed, because she couldn't believe she was getting reprimanded by Draco Malfoy on how to live. Yet, maybe it was the fact that he had just handed out her problem to her on a silver tray.

"You know Draco…I may have problems, but you aren't a fresh sheet of snow either."

He was stunned by how well she kept calm. She knew they were in a public place and that they were supposed to look like they were happy. Yet, maybe it was like being at home for her. Having to act like everything was okay when it wasn't.

He looked at his hand and then up at her, "Do tell me my life story, Hermione. Do tell."

"You are a confused person and a lost little boy who never really grew up. You have a job you enjoy and you know that you have responsibilities. Instead of just marrying someone and growing up, you find me. You find someone who has no interest and no want or attraction towards you whatsoever. You are going to divorce me. Then what? Go back to your hectic schedule of saving children during the day and screwing their older sisters at night." She leaned into him and whispered as if she was whispering something important, "What a waste."

He learned how quickly she was getting at acting and how good she would be when the game began. Right now this was foreplay. This was practice. He also realized how quickly she snapped into Granger when she was tired. How her mental illness seemed to dissipate when she wasn't thinking about everything.

He moved his eyebrows and smirked, His face got equally close to hers, and he whispered back, "You don't find me attractive?"

In that moment he kissed her once again. Either he did this to piss her off and change the subject or he did this to make others think this was real. When he pulled away from her he shared a smile that was demented and charming all the same, his voice was low as if he was seducing her, "I picked you because you were the perfect match. You are smart, love. You have the world at your feet. You need something from me and I need something from you."

"Was that kiss really necessary? Where you trying to change the conversation away from your problems? Really, Malfoy?" she shook her head and leaned back into the booth. Her lips were straight and she seemed to yawn. She was relaxed, "Okay. So I get that. Is that the only reason you wanted me?" she turned her head to the side and starred at him, "You seem to have a little stalker thing going on with me."

"I never stalked you. You see, I have a way of knowing bad things are about to happen. So when you got up in the morning I was just doing my job. I own that village Granger. You were so unstable you could have burnt down that bookstore of yours. My observing was purely for the sake of the village. My property." He smirked and added, "You want to know how I knew about your problem?"

Her face had changed. The cup of hot chocolate was held at her lips and her eyes were set on him. Both hands held it to her face. She was stuck in a moment. She wasn't going to reply because she didn't need too. She knew that Draco would just continue to mind fuck her either way. She found the whole 'observing' theory to be bullshit.

"You see after the war, I too had my dark times. I drank a lot, had hot meaningless sex with women I will never see again and I was addicted to sleeping potion. The look in your eyes when you tried to look happy as you walked your dog or the way all your colors in your clothes gave off a clean vibe. You were preparing yourself for death. The white dresses and the clean beige sweaters…you were hoping that blending in made you disappear. When that didn't work for you and the books weren't helping you turned to your work." He stopped a moment to realize Granger had put the mug of chocolate down and her eyes were full of glimmer. As if he had just scared her and she was trying to hide it.

"Then what happens always happens. You were successful, weren't you? You were so determined to get it done that you did it without anyone's help. Yet even though you didn't get money for your discovery you played the good Gryffindor. You didn't care. You let the ministry name a library wing in Hogwarts after you as your payment. Yet, even in all the success, you felt lonely, didn't you?

"Shut up." She whispered, tears threatened to fall. Nobody could see her behind the booth, but they could see Draco. Yet while he was describing the darkness that was her life, he looked to be flirting with her. How could words so ugly look like they were words of love when they came out of his mouth? She was sure the employees who were working in the parlor were eating Draco's movements up like the sweets they served. To them, from a far distance everything looked perfect but if they were closer they would realize it was the very opposite.

"Nobody was there with you during those award ceremonies, nobody welcomed you home after the long days at the ministry…on top of it all Weasel was spreading the truth about your relationship all over the papers like it was nothing. So then days pass and you continue to pretend everything is okay. However the part of you that is muggle became scared. The little girl like the little boy in me came out. You wanted to get away from the magical world, you wanted out."

"Stop it." She whimpered again. Her eyes looked in his with little soul, "please. I won't be able to handle myself and you will be angry with me when I ruin this for you." She was having an open moment with him. This had to be on the list of most frightening things she had ever accomplished. She wiped her eyes quickly and sniffled. Then gave a small smile and looked back out the window, "I get it, okay. You know me."

She felt warmth on her hand, as he placed his on hers. Once again she looked at his manly hands, they were rather nice. Draco touched her gently and she wasn't afraid of him this time nor did she pull away because in her head she just believed it was part of the act. It was all an act, yet he confused her when he pretended like he cared because sometimes he cared too much. As he began to examine her wounds, he had a devil's stare. He was concentrating.

"Hermione." He looked at her hand, and his finger softly traced the scrape the gate and rough pavement had done to her skin. Then looked at her like he did in the hospital with his calm wavy storm stare that seemed to put babies to sleep, "You gave up your magic and ran away to a world that you never really belonged too. You tried to be a muggle and you couldn't do it. You were confronted by an unhappy family you hated and never escaped. I never thought I'd talk to you when I was observing you in the village. I believe it was no accident when you came into my care at St Mungos."

"Are you telling me this is some type of fate?" she raised an eyebrow and pulled her hand out of his and examined it to find that the scrapes were gone and the redness had healed. There was no pain whatsoever.

When she looked up from the palm he had just quietly healed so beautifully, she was met by a stare that made her feel molested and yet so comfortable, his lips smirked as he spoke, "No. Fate and such is foolish. Yet, I think we can both pull this off. You see, I know what it's like when your greatest fears before you close your eyes at night are that you will wake up the next morning."

They were silent and she wasn't in the mood for anything sweet, she blinked a few times before she spoke, "What did you do?"

"I found what made me happy." He finished his beverage and placed it on the table, "Now I'm giving you the chance to do the same thing. For a price of course, plus you are getting more from this than I."

They were silent for a few minutes. They both looked to be digesting each other's comments. Hermione was once again searching for the right words to continue with and it was her, who eventually broke the silence.

"You were wrong you know." she looked at him once more and her eyes drifted, "I never hated my family. I wouldn't have gone through the war and hidden them if I didn't."

He looked at her and put his feet up underneath the table on her side of the booth. "How can you love people who treat you like crap?"

"You love your family don't you?"

She seemed to have hit something in him. A topic he wasn't prepared for, and he was now the one thinking of the right words. Yet, he was going to be honest with her because in a few weeks she would be family, "Look." He took a deep breath, "My family is fucked up." He gave a shrug and leaned back into his booth, "You know that. I know that…"

"I didn't ask if your family was screwed, Draco. I asked if you loved them."

His smirk was sharp but his eyes were glancing out at the carolers across the street. He seemed to be focusing in on the outside and not her for once, his lips pursed and his words were slow and slurry. Like it was basic nature for him to be sly and unalarmed or bothered by anything, "Sure, love. Sure."

"Sure?" She looked annoyed, "I'm upfront with you and you give me an answer like sure? What does that even mean?"

Both of his hands were out and he smiled, "This is the amount of the fuck I do give."

"Your hands are empty, you bastard."

"Exactly." He looked back at her now. "See, if you use your brain again, instead of using it for self harm…maybe you will come back to the world and stop acting like a brainless elf."

This was the Draco she remembered. He wasn't being so sweet anymore now that the tables had been turned on him and she suddenly felt angry, "you know what?" she shook her head, "Forget this. You keep acting like I need this more than you do. I'm not as mentally unstable and stupid as you claim I'm being. You won't even really admit your family is fucked up and you need my help. In fact, watch me walk out of this ice cream parlor and never see you or talk to you again." She sounded like a scripted reality television show and finished, "forget my magic. I don't need you."

Before she could move he had grabbed her leg from underneath the table. His hand stayed on her thigh and his eyes were devilish, "Sit down, love. We both know you want your magic more than anything." He was commanding her quietly.

Once again her body stayed put, her eyes were forcing. For the first time she wasn't going to be pushed around by him. He knew she really wanted her magic and she knew he really wanted the security that came with public approval.

He was angry but then he was happy too. Finally Hermione Granger had emerged and he couldn't have been more excited. Instead of being angry or hurt he just simply smirked, "I love my parents. Except for the fact that my father was abusive towards me, yeah…I care for them." He didn't come forth as heartwarming or really in love with his family. He told her as if it was a quote from a book.

Maybe it was just the way Draco Malfoy was. He didn't do touching and he definitely didn't do heart melting. He had a cold exterior.

Her motives were calm, she relaxed back into the booth and she looked down at her hands again, "I'm sorry." She felt bad and had no idea about his father.

"Don't be." He moved his hand across and moved it to her chin and moved her head up to look at him, "Those problems have been worked out. My father and I get along now. I don't talk about my family, but you will be family and I might as well tell you."

When his fingers left her face and moved to the table top he was looking at his watch. Once again reminded of the waiting appointment, "What about you? Why do you love your family?"

"I love them because…well…" she was recovering from his touch, "we have our disagreements and sure…they don't support my choice of magic-."

"Wait. I remember them being with you during your second year. Why would they support you and then stop?"

"Right. My father was interested in magic, but slowly as I progressed in school my family and I drifted apart. I think if they truly understood it, they wouldn't be so hard. It's just lost in translation. I believe they love me. When I tried to…" she drifted and looked at him, "kill myself. I wasn't in a good mental place. I was depressed and everything that had happened made me sick. My family and I don't get along and yes, they are screwed up but they love me."

Draco got quiet and then looked at her with eyes that could cut stone. It took him a few minutes to gather up what he was going to say.

"My family isn't sane, my father was a racist bastard and my mother thinks everything can be solved by shopping. You see I was the outsider. Even when I was younger I thought that the whole blood thing was ludicrous. I followed because it was expected of me. My father beat me because he was beaten as a child. Even today I refuse to follow and grow up and take over the business because there is a part of me that is afraid of me being like my father." He was honest, but the way he came across was frigid. He had never told anyone that and he was hoping that she would feel sorry for him and he could play this out.

His look suggested that if she ever told anyone that, he would kill her or that he might so right there.

Yet Hermione was still a very affectionate person and even though she was surprised by how honest he had been with her, she never thought for a second she would discuss it with anyone. Her eyes were kind and suddenly the Hermione back in school came out. The comforting friend and companion.

Her smile was small and sweet, "You aren't your father, Draco."

There were a few moments where all he could do was look at her and how she had just accepted his truth. She wasn't going to make fun of him and she had just agreed in herself to marry him. He could see it. She had truly relaxed. Her eyes were warm and friendly like honey and chocolate.

"You aren't your mother either."

They both smile at each other. For the first time…it was because they were actually okay with one another. They weren't playing games or acting something out. That was the moment Hermione Granger made a friend she desperately needed. Draco Malfoy slowly felt something inside him, for her. This time it wasn't pity or reticule, it was trust and understanding.

* * *

_**Why are we inspired by another person's courage? Maybe because it gives us the sweet and genuine surprise of discovering some trace, at least, of the same courage in ourselves. **____**~ Laurence Shames**_

The warmth of Malfoy Manor was surprising. As the green flames left them and they stood in the grand fireplace, she smelt the presence of sugar and another nice smell she couldn't figure out. She also noted that whatever the other spice was, Draco smelt of it.

The very spacious room looked to be a receiving place for guests. It was decorated for the holidays with candles and bells and very beautiful things. This was dramatically different then the experience she had years back during the war, how everything was cheerful and somewhat happy. The last time she had taken a glimpse of this place it was very dark and it almost felt like death itself and the smell that she took in was blood and dead corpse.

Another thing that came to her mind was the fact that she never thought manors and castles were practical. When her family went on trips to the countryside she couldn't imagine a normal family living in large walls and hundreds of rooms. It looked as if the Malfoys had redecorated profoundly. It seemed to be a different place all together.

This time it was Draco who took her hand and led her through the spacious and elegant room. She knew she had been snooty when Draco was looking around her own home, but at least she had an excuse to be marveled by his. His home actually was a museum.

"Did you seriously grow up here?" she lisped as they exited the grand double doors and into the very large hallway that led to numerous different doors and passages. It was that moment it hit her. The remembrance was overwhelming. Not only was her stomach turning but the walls were very tall and the portraits that hung were looking at her with slate eyes and they all had their noses in the air.

He looked and acted like his house was simple, as if this was nothing. He couldn't understand why Hermione was so amazed by their lifestyle. "Yes." He answered as if she was stupid. "I'm glad you get to see it now. Christmas and spring are always the best times in the house. Mother goes all out and does everything in her possibility to make it look spectacular. She throws parties just to show off and then have material to laugh and complain about the guests."

Suddenly the pain in her stomach became worse. For a small time she almost forgot who his parents were. She didn't believe they had changed. She was sure they would hate her and if they agreed it was only for their own benefit and that the year would be hell. "She sounds lovely." She lied.

In fact, now the thought of being alone in this large home was almost like a cage. She didn't have her magic and well…The Malfoys weren't the sort you messed with. Everybody knew that.

It seemed like such a large hallway, but their destination was only down the hall a ways.

Her feet dug into the plush velvet oriental carpet and when her body stopped, he stopped to see what the holdup was. He questioned her with just a look.

She replied to him by biting her lip and looking like nerves had overcome her, "They hate me, don't they?"

The man in front of her was shocked and wondered why she even cared if they hated her. It wasn't as if they were actually going to be married for real. It would end in divorce. He opened his mouth, but closed it. He didn't have an answer for her and he was so close to pulling this off that he didn't want to say anything that would cause her to turn away and forget the whole deal.

Her voice came off as low and imprisoned. Like a prisoner who was about to be punished for something she didn't do, "They won't ever like me. Why would they? I'm everything they have drilled you against. I am the girl who ruined your family's traditions. I'm the worst case scenario."

"Granger..." He was now feeling tired and angry with her. His voice was annoyed as if a headache had found him, "You are not the worst scenario, okay? The worst scenario would be a regular muggle or a Weasley." He was honest but after he said what he did he wanted to take it back. He knew this would cause Hermione to become livid. It was just so easy for him to make her mad. He really didn't know how to reason with her.

Her expression changed and she opened her own mouth to protest but he pulled her along quickly. Her attention wasn't on his comment but the people who were behind the large emerald and gold embellished doors.

She heard there voices in the next room. They were muffled but still loud. They were bickering about something. She thought it was rather comical how they sounded like any other aging couple. Yet, they weren't just any other couple. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy weren't just another couple, or just another set of parents.

"Lucius…stop feeding the dogs." She heard a feminine voice say. "They are getting fat."

"It's just caviar… this doesn't affect you, woman."

"It will make them sick. What comes out of them will resemble something intolerant and unwanted. When it's all over my garden it will affect me! "

Draco rolled his eyes and twisted the large knob. Obviously by his look, these fights were normal and he wasn't bothered by them. His hand held very tightly to Hermione's to keep her from walking away from him. He pulled her into another very massive room that Hermione took to be Lucius' study. It had another marble fireplace, leather chairs and sofas, lush green carpets and a very sophisticated desk. She hadn't ever been inside the slytherin dorms, but in her imagination…it looked like his office.

When the door closed behind her, she jumped a bit. The door closing didn't distract the couple from bickering, but Hermione's small gasp did.

Draco waltzed in and cleared his throat; he suddenly resembled a regular guy in his own environment. The way someone would become less caring about the way they looked or acted because they were home. He was comfortable. His hands went to his pockets and his back leaned a bit.

Lucius was holding a silver spoon out to five beautiful dogs. However when her eyes studied a bit more she realized there was a smaller dog he was feeding, it resembled a corgi. The thought of a grown man feeding a corgi caviar was rather humorous. Especially Lucius Malfoy having a corgi in the first place.

Maybe it was the humorous feeling in the sight that caused the older man to stop completely and look uncomfortable. As if he had been caught doing something nobody had seen him do outside of his home. Yet his stare was plain over his glasses at her. They weren't angry or disgusted by her like they used to be. Age had found him but he was still a rather charming looking man. His demeanor was still sly and possessive…aggressively protective. A lot like his son. "You two are late." With that he put the silver bowl and spoon to the side and onto a table. He was cold but he wasn't as revoltingly evil as she remembered him being.

He spoke to them as if he had known Hermione her whole life. As if he had accepted her as family in that moment. He wasn't going to introduce himself because it wasn't necessary; the girl knew who they were. The thought of re-introduction repelled him because then he would have to apologize. Malfoys do not apologize for anything.

Draco went to a sofa and dumped himself into it. His feet went onto a table and he closed his eyes. "Apparently muggle parties last longer than I thought."

Hermione still stood there awkwardly. She didn't know what to do and she felt stupid. She had been so shocked by his father's reaction; she had no idea what to do with herself.

Narcissa was viewing her from the sofa. She had discarded her book and looked to be taking in everything about the girl's body, hair and face. Draco's mother's features were soft and her eyes were a beautiful royal blue. Hermione remembered her hair always being up out of her face, in this instance it hung beautifully around her shoulders. There was simple gorgeous look to older woman, and it was definitely classy and glamorous all at the same time. Narcissa unfolded her legs and moved them to the floor. Her bare pedicured feet were a shock, because you never expect to see some people in their most vulnerable state.

"Draco." She smirked and smiled, "Aren't you going to introduce the room properly to the young lady?"

Draco looked like he couldn't be bothered, he moved his head up and opened his eyes in her direction, and his arm flew to the side as if he was an airline stewardess showing the exits, "Sit. We aren't going to kill you if we want something from you. We don't have some weird childish disease that will turn you into your rival house. You won't leave here holding snakes and wearing emerald and silver-."

She cut him off with a small and low but equally angry voice, "I get it, Draco." She walked slowly over and sat on a chair, but did not relax. She looked to be anxious and nervous. She still couldn't get herself to get over how safe the Malfoys felt with her around. She didn't return the emotions they seemed to be playing off, at all.

Narcissa gave a small smile and seemed to ignore the fact Hermione was in the room, "Her skin tone is beautiful. Her hair is a small problem but nothing some potion can't fix." She expressed her opinion towards her son as if Hermione was an antique gift she was going to have to fix up but loved just the same.

Draco's eyes were closed and he seemed to be ignoring her. "I get you liked to talk about this before she was here but…" his silver eyes were open and he pointed at Hermione, "you should really be telling her this now."

Hermione couldn't believe she was talked about as if she didn't exist and then told she was talked about regardless. This was the rudeness she expected but not ten-fold. It was actually almost a compliment but it turned into an insult.

"I have no interest." Draco said as he shook his head, "In this subject." He looked annoyed, "what so ever."

Lucius smirked as he glanced at a frightened Hermione then looked over at his wife, "Look love, he brought you home a girl." As if it was an answer to the two men's prayers. Draco had done his one deed his mother had asked for his whole life: A daughter. That and grandchildren were all she asked for. Yet even though Hermione would only be hers for a year and grandchildren were not part of the package she did not care. It was still someone to talk to about things her son and husband would ignore and forget.

Narcissa acknowledged Hermione for the first time and her eyes sparkled and she seemed so pleasant. This was the side Hermione never knew existed in Malfoy's mother. Without warning she moved herself closer to Hermione and rested her delicate hand on the chairs 'arm rest. "And she is lovely." She seemed to examine the young woman closer now. From previous conversations her son had stated she was thin, but she looked sick in her own opinion. Yet she was a mother and mother's opinions are always different from those of others. She did not know this girl very well, but she had accepted her just the same.

Lucius stood up and walked behind Draco, he hit him on the head, "Up. Now." A command and order, not a suggestion. "We have business to go over."

Draco was reluctant but he listened and did not test his father's orders. Draco wasn't sure he meant business-business or Hermione business. He really was too tired now to bother with either.

Hermione was still a mess a far as her mind was concerned. She didn't know how to handle this family. One minute she thought they were going to be completely horrible, the next she is being treated as if she was already married to their son and as if there was nothing weird about the situation. It was weird and awkward. These people used to want nothing more than to see her dead and without magic, now she was treated with warmness and they were willing to help her get the magic back.

Lucius walked around her chair like a shark, he circled her like his son had when she was being examined, his eye were a troubled storm that were the matching set to his son's own. "Miss Granger, we meet again." He stopped in front of her chair and caught her looking down at the carpet. This troubled him so, "Why is it you look down?"

Her eyes traced the carpet's serpent design till it was marked in her brain's memory. The truth was that his eyes were as piercing as his son's and to keep her sanity she did not look up. Also, she was frightened and she felt under-dressed. Plus the emotions set in. The dark ones that reminded her of her old friends and what they would say to her if they knew she was here. She was very afraid but she had too much pride in herself to allow him to see that.

Lucius wasn't someone who forgot people. He remembered her very fondly. The first time he had met her was in a bookshop, she had unruly hair but striking features. Compared to the Weasley family she was the most beautiful child in the group. The second time he had seen her was in her third year, she had gone shopping before school and him and his son were in the same shop as her and her parents. She had the most intelligent eyes and a very pride-filled gleam that she shot in people's direction. His memory served him these reactions he had to the way she tested everybody, even people nobody dared too. Nobody told his son no, but she did on numerous occasions. Nobody kicked Bellatrix, but she did. Nobody dared test him, but she had.

The fact that she didn't look at people the same way was rather dark for a Gryffindor. She had changed. She was still a child. He saw her as a young thing. Someone innocent and compared to his son, pure as snow. She was fresh and yes, she would be an amazing benefit to the family's reputation. Yet, could she act like a Malfoy? Could she act, period? He pondered over her like a doting father.

"Are you afraid of me?" he asked in a creepy jesting way that sent shivers up her spine. His hand went to her chin like Draco's did repeatedly. When she looked up, her eyes were filled with warm tears that were about to fall. She trembled a bit as he shared a smile; she had never seen him smile before. A lot like his only child's smile…it was charming. It also scared the complete life out of her. His was a delicate smile that you would give your daughter, a protective one, "I remember those eyes."

Narcissa came around his shoulder and smiled, "Me too. They're like brown diamonds and white pearls." Her hands were graceful and soft as she touched Hermione's face so delicately. Her palm softly swayed against Hermione's cheek. "Your skin is so pure, it's like porcelain." She smiled, "I must buy you some diamond earrings to take the attention from your gorgeous eyes. Maybe some rubies. Both. Some pretty dresses…"

Hermione could feel her heart beating fast. This was not what she expected at all. She was very frightened and the expensive perfume and powder from Narcissa was so relaxing and lovely…and she was so tired. Everything was happening so fast. The thoughts in her head about Harry and the war were slowly being forgotten. As if she was being hypnotized, her only thought was the powder. The lush and soft powder on her hands and the kindness she was receiving.

When Narcissa left her she realized Lucius had walked to his desk and was looking for something. Draco had poured himself a scotch and was returning to sitting area.

She was lost, and she felt vulnerable.

Draco sipped his drink and looked at his mother in a joking way, "Don't smother her. She isn't a pet."

His mother rolled her eyes towards the crystal chandelier, her hands went together neatly and she sat close to Hermione on another sofa regally, "I'm not. I'm just thinking about those dresses I bought today and that pink one would look so sweet with her snowy frame."

"Mother. We talked about this…don't scare her." he gave her a warning glance. His mother ignored it completely.

Hermione still hadn't spoken a word to them. She didn't know it was irritating all three of them. That her silence was causing the other room's occupant's to think of ways to break her shock and get her to talk.

Lucius came back and sat down. He got to look at her and read her eyes before he opened his mouth, he wore a smirk, "So the agreement is that you will marry Draco and produce a son…"

Suddenly her eyes drifted to him quickly, and she opened her mouth and the voice that came out was scratchy and frantic, "What? No. No." her eyes were drifting and she turned red in embarrassment, "That wasn't the deal at all…"

Lucius seemed to enjoy this, "I know it wasn't. Good to know you can speak."

"And you have a lovely voice." Narcissa added.

"Mother, stop putting sugar on everything. You don't have to win her over. She wants her magic. No need to compliment her on everything."

She turned her head towards him, "I know you are the only child but you must be patient. I'm not putting sugar on everything, I'm being friendly."

Suddenly Draco cracked up laughing, "Friendly?" his eyebrows raised, "you act like she doesn't know who we are. This isn't a small child mum, it's a grown woman. She knows you want something and that we want something from her. She has priorities."

Once again his mother gave him the cold shoulder, "One more word from you Draco and I'll take away every vocal cord you have through your nose. I gave you your life and I'll take it back. It will be easier to kill you then it was to give birth to you."

Draco opened his mouth one last time to add, "Don't get attached to her, mother." He also had a disgusted face. He hated it when his mother brought up his own birth or when he was conceived.

Hermione let the next words slip, "I'm not a stray cat…"

Once again her future mother-in-law came to her aid, "Of course you aren't." she turned her head a bit to the side but didn't give her son the time or a look, yet her words were directed toward him, "We just feel really horrible about the fact that she has to be married to you." She was joking with him, but Hermione could believe it.

Lucius was still very dry and distant, but she didn't expect him to be warm either. He was still very frigid a he went over the details, "A new year's wedding is fine? It's better to get the silly things out of the way. This way it will be easy to get the court dates settled sooner. That way your magic trials won't be over drawing out past the year."

His wife looked wounded, "Weddings are not silly. It is my son's first and by the rate he is going, his only wedding. It will be very important. Plus, it's the social event of the year. You are only giving me two weeks…"

Draco cut in, "So what if it's my only wedding? I'm marrying her so I get the benefits and I can go back to doing as I please without worrying about breaking any vows and all that nonsense. All I care about is our image and the money. One wedding sounds peachy to me."

"Quiet." He looked at her and then his son. She was instantly silent, but she looked ready to hex him into oblivion. His son leaned back into the couch and relaxed.

He looked at Hermione, "Are you alright with these terms?"

She nodded at his question. It didn't take a genius to realize that he was reading her terms and conditions. Like a lawyer would if you were reading over some kind of contract. Her voice came back to her, but she still spoke softly, "What is that?"

Lucius suddenly became aware of Hermione's inner intelligence that she had been hiding. She was a quick learner and she was observing. There was hope for her yet, "You didn't think we were foolish, did you? It's a simple magical bond."

"Simple?" she questioned him, "If it so simple why can't I see it?"

She referred to the fact that when he sat down he was careful with it. It had to be rare or illegal. Also he wasn't using a quill. The feather lay next to it on the table. There was no ink.

Draco looked to his father, and they shared a moment between them to discuss something and read each other's lips so Hermione wouldn't over hear.

It was their son who came out with it, he had been honest with her all along and believed the easiest way to do this was to continue with that pattern, "It's a blood contract, Hermione. We aren't taking this lightly."

Suddenly it felt dark in the room and she stood up out of fear, "Those are illegal."

Narcissa tried to calm her down and stood, "It isn't for us, dear." Her hands went out to touch the girl to get her to keep calm, "Nobody will know about it."

"Why?" her voice was frantic, "They should be. They are dark and revolting and-."

"If you handle your side of the deal then you shouldn't worry. Nothing will happen to you." Narcissa cooed. Her hand went onto Hermione's shaking ones.

The younger girl stepped away from the blonde woman and her brown eyes were frantic, "I don't want to do this, anymore. Not with a blood contract. No. Let us imagine the worst scenario here. I do something wrong and I break the contract and then what? You get the public approval and I die because I did something wrong and Draco comes out looking like the sad widower." Her word came out a million miles a second. She was looking for exits but she couldn't move her feet for the life of her. "Where did you even get that? Did you bribe someone for it? The ministry will arrest all of us if they find out. Sentence us to death for it."

Draco fought back, "Hey. If I do something wrong I can die too, okay? Get over it and grow up."

Hermione forgot they were in front of his parents and she began to cry a bit but she also yelled at Draco, "You are a bastard! You didn't tell me about this. I should have known I'd never get my magic back."

"Granger!" he stood up and moved in front of her, he towered above her. His hands went to her shoulders and he shook her to get her to stop it, "Calm down."

For a few seconds she tried to hold back tears but they were falling now. All she could do was think about her parent's devastation and the mess she was in. It was like being trapped in a house during a fire and the only exit is through a door with fire around the frame. There is still room to get out but you still risk a chance of being burned. Instead of fighting it, she listened to him and did the unthinkable. She leaned into him and put her head on his shoulder and cried.

Draco's reaction to her was shocked at first, but he looked at his parents and then moved his arms around her. His attention was on her now. He watched her break down in his arms. She fit so small in his embrace and she sobbed into his neck. He softly grabbed a handful of her hair and lifted it so he could talk into her ear, his words were gentler with her, "I shouldn't have been so abrupt with you and I frightened you. I'm sorry…"

This was weird for her, but out of all the people in the room, she trusted him the most. He was her healer and he had brought her back to live and she didn't know why he felt so nice, or why his words made her feel better. She tried to control her sobs and she bit her lip. _She shouldn't be leaning on him like this; she shouldn't be doing this…_

He continued with his coaxing, "you are going to get your magic back. I swear to you. But you have to help me…" he rubbed calming circles into her back, "Remember in the hospital, when I said I'd make things right…I mean it. This is just part of that. I will make you right again. I will fix this."

Narcissa watched and noticed something only mother's notice. Like how her son was very much like his father. He was stone on the outside but the moment you cried or became upset they were butter and they tried everything they could to make it better. He wondered if her son was the one who was becoming attached. She had her doubts about the no-strings-attached deal. Her son looked at the girl like he looked at his objects. Suddenly she wasn't sure if it would be so simple for him come the end of the year.

Hermione moved away from him, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve and took a glass of tonic water from Narcissa who offered it to her. She didn't even question if it was poisonous or laced. She wasn't worried. "There there. No need to get worked up, my darling. We won't let anything harm you." Narcissa's words were like a lullaby.

Lucius had already taken the liberty of pulling out a silver dagger that was covered in precious gems. He was setting it up so they could continue.

Draco helped her sit and then walked over towards the contract. He didn't wait for Hermione to agree because he had enough confidence she would do it anyway. She had no choice in the matter.

He began to roll up his sleeve slowly, and as he did…his dark mark became visible. It was lifeless now because no Dark Lord owned him anymore. Yet it was still marking him and it still ached from time to time. He had been preparing himself for this pain all day. The sacrifice he would make for her, or really for his family. For the Malfoy name. For his future children.

He took the dagger and closed his eyes for a second as he began to press the sharp edge into his forearm where the deep black skull began.

She whimpered in sorrow for him. His pure wizard blood was almost a black cherry red until it ran down hi s arm and thinned itself against his pale skin tone. Its color was more of the strawberry syrup color they used in movie as props.

He had sliced the mark in half and the pain was so unbearable, the dark magic that resided there was too much for him to handle. He took the first pain and initial reaction to being cut open like a fruit, like a man. A few seconds passed and the dark magic that came with his very creepy tattoo began to enforce an even greater pain. One that resembled what it's like to die. His sorrows became real and his troubles were like deep water drowning him underneath a thick sheet of ice. He looked to be choking and his face became clammy. His eye closed in horror and he was thriving on the floor. Almost as if he was suffering from a severe seizure. In these moments he fought back. For some reason the thought of a son or daughter, a beautiful child came to him. It smiled and looked just like him. The thought of having a child never worry about blood allowed him to find a common ground in his mind. He bit back on the pain and struggled. His happy thoughts were leaving him. As a healer he could understand why these contracts were illegal. Any one person could slip into shock just from the initiation. His pain came back in heaps and he struggled against the floor.

Hermione looked very alarmed, "What happened? What happening to him? " there were tears in her eyes for his soul and she knew there was nothing she could do for him.

Lucius looked unalarmed by his pain but proud of his son, "It's an afterlife fuck you from you know who." He looked at her, "We have to wait out his pain."

Narcissa was crying and she was shaking and feeling like a horrible mother. Her husband had been preparing her for this, yet it was too real now. She felt bad for what she had said to him. She stood up and turned around, away from her son. Her voice was so different from the sweet one he had earlier, it was dark and rugged, "I'm glad the monster is dead."

Hermione watched as Draco's attack finally calmed down. He struggled back onto the couch. His arm bled and he was forcing himself to gain enough strength to grab the quill with his other hand. He dipped the quill in his own blood, but was so weak he could barely keep a grip. The quill touched the paper and he took many minutes to sign his first name and then his last. When it was finished, all Draco could do was gasp and let the feather quill drop down. He gave one last grunt and lay back against the sofa.

"Is he going to be okay?" she asked and looked at Lucius, "If Voldemort is dead, why does it still do that?"

"There are spells darker than most." Narcissa wiped her eyes and then looked at Hermione, "It won't do the same to you. All you have to do is make a cut in your palm."

Draco lifted himself up a bit, but held his arm with his other hand. His voice was shaky a he looked at her and was out of breath, "It's simple."

Hermione watched his blood pour over his rings and through his fingers. She also fought with the demons in her head and the doubts. She only had one option and she knew what she had to do now. Her hands shook as he grabbed the dagger. It was heavier then she thought it looked.

In her mind she couldn't believe Draco did that for her…or for his family. He really wasn't a coward when she thought about it. He really did care for more than himself.

When he looked up, they all were staring. Their eyes were like bullets causing her to feel sick in her stomach. Her ears began to ring and her eyes watered. Her heart beat even hurt as it pounded against her chest. She tipped the Dagger and pointed it into her skin but was too afraid to actually cut herself. She thought of her suicide and how she felt like she was in the same spot. Why was it harder to harm herself now?

Looking up one last time at Draco, he gave her a small smirk. His eyes were drooping in a fight to stay awake long enough to watch his bride sign the contract.

"Dear girl..." Lucius smirked with a sly and secretive disposition, "Are you ready to begin?"

* * *

**Author's note: Not my best chapter I'll admit. I'm hoping the extra long chapter will make up for its shitty appeal. Forgive me? **

**Reviewing the reviews: Let me just point out that I love all of you so much for leaving me really long reviews. I felt it was important to address a few things. First off, usually I do not go into detail myself about the characters or the plot because I feel it will be resolved later on. I let my story do the talking. **

**One thing I got a lot of messages about was Hermione' weakness. I didn't mean for her to sound pathetic. I just wanted her to be in the middle of a depression that had caught her and was a long time coming. You know what though? **_**Who can take a sunrise and sprinkle it with dew, Cover it with chocolate and a miracle or two? The Candy-man. The candy man can. **_

**That candy man is Draco Malfoy. Take that weird song lyric filled paragraph however you want too. I know, I must be pretty old to quote the original Willy Wonka, but I'm actually seventeen…and school starts soon. So hopefully my updates won't be months apart. If they are, I'll definitely make it worth your time. I promise. **

**With that being said, I'd like to add that pictures that inspire me to work on somewhere or are my muse can be found on my profile. Go check it out, right nizzle. **

_Vampkitty-kun, Jo-Marie, anonymousarfan, Blood-In-The-Stars, pink-strawberries, Spunkywave77, lalalaniebug, Naiya kokoro, CourtneyUchiha94, alwaysthere2, beautifly92, kat6528, Sweetaccent, Touch the sky, Dances-with-pen, ivoryandrose-leaves, and theconscience. You all mean something to me I cannot explain in words. Thank you so much to you who review each chapter or even just reviewed one. You are honest with me and you are my truth and my rock and I cannot thank you enough for that. The least I can doiIs feature you in my chapters so you can be part of it forever. _

_MySweetEscape: I love you I love you I love you. I will never tire of your reviews. Even if you start putting weird Taylor Swift song lyrics in them and you bash my story. I will always love you because you are honest and you look for the deepness in my words, not the cosmetic. I promise you. I love you. _

_Darkness Approaches: I can never thank you enough. You really read me and get what I'm trying to put out there. There is never a dull review with you. I look forward to them all. Your name is awesome too, Jess. _

_Peace. _


End file.
